FAFSA Is Modernizing to Recognize LGBT Families

FAFSA will soon start recognizing same-sex parents on financial aid applications.

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Idea of the Day

Idea of the Day

When lawmakers first created the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, in 1992, no state recognized civil unions or domestic partnerships between same-sex couples, let alone the freedom to marry. Ten states and the District of Columbia currently confer the rights and responsibilities of marriage to same-sex couples—and that number is swiftly increasing.

Recognizing this changing landscape, the U.S. Department of Education announced last week a small but significant change to the FAFSA that will make the application a more fair, effective, and efficient tool for students seeking financial aid to help pay for their college education. Starting in 2014 the Department of Education will begin collecting demographic and financial information about families headed by same-sex parents to determine eligibility for and amounts of Pell Grants and federal student loans.

For more on this topic, please see:

FAFSA Modernizes to Recognize LGBT Families by Crosby Burns and David A. Bergeron

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