Simplifying Financial Aid for Students Act of 2019

Simplifying Financial Aid for Students Act of 2019

This bill revises the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process and modifies federal student aid eligibility for certain students.

Among other things, the bill revises FAFSA to

• remove certain questions such as those regarding a student's criminal history, Selective Service registration, and combat pay information;
• make it available to complete on a mobile device;
• consolidate questions regarding a student's homeless status;
• allow a student to automatically populate such form using data available from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS);
• provide forms in the most common languages spoken at home in the United States; and
• allow a student to complete FAFSA as an independent student under special circumstances.

The bill also modifies the student eligibility criteria for federal student financial aid to

• deem a student eligible for a determination of a zero expected family contribution under certain circumstances, such as when a dependent student's parent participated in a means-tested benefits program (e.g., the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Medicaid);
• revise the simplified needs-analysis formula;
• remove drug conviction and Selective Service registration provisions; and
• make Dreamer students (i.e., students who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status) eligible for federal financial aid.

Additionally, the IRS must disclose certain tax return information to the Department of Education (ED) for the purpose of administering financial aid and loan programs.

The bill also authorizes ED to carry out an early federal Pell Grant commitment program.