releases: https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=FD52C2B0-5E07-4252-BF3E-BF97CF17B2BE
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=FD52C2B0-5E07-4252-BF3E-BF97CF17B2BE | Senate Passes Alexander, Whitehouse, Murray, Gardner Bill That Allows Families to Answer 22 FAFSA Questions With Just One Click | 2018-12-20 | 2018 | 2018-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December20, 2018 The UnitedStatesSenatelast nightpassed bipartisan legislation introduced by Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.),Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.),Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) andSenatorCory Gardner (R-Colo.)that will allowthenearly 20 million students that complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year to answerat least 11 and up to 22questionson the formwithjustone click. The bill will allow students to have the IRS securely send the Department of Education their federal tax information with oneclick.The bill will also help simplify the process for getting through income-driven repayment applications and the student aid verification process.Now that the Senate has passed the legislation, it will head to the U.S. House of Representatives. Theformerpresident of Southwest Community College in Memphis once told me he believes that he loses 1,500 students each semester because of the complexity of theFAFSA,said Alexander.Over and over families have asked me, I've already given most of this information to the federal government when I paid my taxes, why do I have to do it againonce is enough.' This legislation will make completing the complicatedFAFSAmuch easier for studentsand familiesallowing them to answer up to 22 questionson the formwith one simple click, while securing the applicant's data. It is my hope that the U.S. House of Representatives swiftly passes this legislation. Our nation's outdated and overly complicated financial aid system is forcing students and student loan borrowers to jump through too many hoops to access federal financial aid, verify the tax returns they've already filled out, or get help if they're struggling to pay their student loans,said Murray.I'm pleased to work with my colleagues on this needed fix to federal financial aid, and I urge the House to pass this quickly so students and borrowers are able navigate their financial aid through a streamlined and efficient process. Putting prospective college students and their families through endless paperwork is more than an annoyance. Needlessly complicated forms like theFAFSAare a real obstacle to Rhode Island students continuing their education,said Whitehouse. I'm happy to join Sen. Alexander to introduce this legislation. It's a smart way to reduce the burden of theFAFSAwith a simple, secure online process. Ensuring students are able to complete theirFAFSAforms each year is crucial to continuing their education,said SenatorGardner.This bipartisan legislation makes the complex process easier for students and their parents so that no student has to miss out on educational opportunities because completing their forms was made more difficult than it needed to be. The Faster Access to Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) ActwillmakeFAFSAcompletion easierand more securefor nearly 20 million studentsby: Improvingand securingthe way individuals' IRS tax information is sent to the Department of Education. Turning a 7-click process into a single click process that answersat least 11 andup to 22 questions to transfer IRS tax filling data to the Department of Education. Allowing8 to 9 million moreFAFSAfilers to use their existing IRS tax filing information. Reducingthe burdensome verification processes for students and parents filing for aid. Automatingthe annual process for 7 million borrowers in income driven repayment to recertify their income and remain in their repayment plan. Background onFAFSA: Currently 54% ofFAFSAs are filed with information received from the IRS by parents or students using the Data Retrieval Tool to request and transfer tax information from the IRS to the Department of Education. The current process for students or parents to transfer tax information to theFAFSArequires the applicant to give direct permission to the IRS to send tax information to ED. This requires the applicant to jump fromFAFSAwebsite to IRS website and back to ED website which takes a total of 7 clicks. For 37% ofFAFSAs, either the student or the parent does not file taxes. The new process will allow the IRS to confirm that those students or parents have not filed. Background on Income Driven Repayment: Almost a third of borrowers in repayment on federal student loans are in an income-driven repayment program. These programs require that borrowers certify their income on an annual basis. If borrowers fail to complete this process, they are automatically reentered into standard 10 year repayment. Each year 19 percent ofborrowers in IDR fail to recertify their income on-time,resulting in payment spikes and interest capitalization for approximately 1.3 million borrowers. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |