Senator Murray Urges WA Students and Families to Fill Out The New FAFSA, Not Leave Federal Aid on the Table

Murray discusses how bipartisan overhaul she negotiated has simplified FAFSA, expanded aid eligibility-and shares update on law's implementation

Washington state lags in FAFSA completion rates; in 2023, WA left $65 million in Pell Grants on the table by not completing the FAFSA

Senator Murray: "Take advantage of every penny of federal grants available to you. Fill the FAFSA out-it's quick, it's easy, and thousands of dollars in federal grants could be just ten minutes away."

***WATCH: Senator Murray discusses FAFSA form that is now live***

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), urged Washington state students and families to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which is now live, to take full advantage of the federal grants, assistance, and loans available to them to pursue a higher education. Senator Murray discussed how the new FAFSA form is easier and quicker to complete than ever and how more aid is now available to more students-thanks to the bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act she negotiated and got signed into law in 2020. The law overhauled the financial aid application process, simplified the FAFSA form for students and families, and significantly expanded eligibility for federal aid. She also provided an update on implementation of the law.

"Here's what high school seniors, college students, and families across Washington state should know: the FAFSA form for the upcoming school year is available now and you should get it done as soon as possible," said Senator Murray. "Filling out the FAFSA is the only way to unlock federal grants, assistance, and loans to help you get a higher education. Whether you're looking to get a four-year degree or to head to community or technical college, fill the FAFSA out! And now, thanks to the bipartisan reforms I worked hard to make happen, the form is shorter and quicker than ever."

"Unfortunately, our state has lagged behind in filling out the FAFSA-and that means not taking advantage of federal aid that they qualified for," Murray continued. "In 2023, Washington state left $65 million in Pell Grants on the table because no one applied for them-so let's turn that around! That's the message I want to get across today: take advantage of every penny of federal grants available to you. Fill the FAFSA out-it's quick, it's easy, and thousands of dollars in federal grants could be just ten minutes away."

Washington state still has one of the lowest FAFSA completion rates in the nation. In 2023, students in Washington state left $65 million in Pell Grants on the table by not completing the FAFSA.

The bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act Senator Murray negotiated and got signed into law:

• Significantly expands who is eligible to receive Pell Grants and the maximum award;
• Significantly simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
• Makes the financial aid process easier to navigate for students experiencing homelessness and students formerly in foster care.
• Restores Pell Grant eligibility for students who have been defrauded, students with drug-related offenses, and more.

Senator Murray has led oversight efforts of implementation of the new, simplified FAFSA and has continued to stay in close contact with the Department of Education to ensure the new form works for students and families. The draft Senate Fiscal Year 2025 spending bill, authored and negotiated by Murray, which funds the Department of Education, includes an additional $100 million for the administration of student aid programs-the funding would support a wide range of activities, including implementation of the FAFSA. The bill also directs the Department of Education to undertake various activities related to the FAFSA, including conducting outreach to students who have uncompleted FAFSA applications, providing weekly updates to Congress on FAFSA implementation, and correcting errors that have made it difficult for unaccompanied homeless youth to access the FAFSA application. Senator Murray's funding bill passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee 25-3-and she is now working to get it signed into law.

Read about the FAFSA Simplification Act HERE.

Senator Murray's full comments, as delivered, are below:

"My siblings and I all were able to pursue a higher education thanks to federal support.

"So I personally know just how important it is. And that is why I have been so focused throughout my career on making sure students can get the federal support they need to make it through higher education.

"Today, one of the first steps many kids take to make that dream a reality is filling out the form called FAFSA, which is how they get access to funding for higher education through the federal government.

"Now, for many, many years, the application was daunting. Many, many questions. Very complex to fill out. You had to import your tax information.

"And I've always believed there's no reason for what should be a first step on the path to a higher education to become the first stumbling block. And I wasn't the only person who thought that.

"So I set out to make the form a whole lot easier and quicker to fill out. And I worked with my Republican counterpart on the Senate Education Committee-and together we passed a bipartisan bill to streamline the FAFSA-and to rework the financial aid formula so that we could get more aid to more students, including, of course, in Washington state.

"The rollout of the new form and the overhaul I negotiated last year was rocky-to say the very least.

"So I've had to continue to work with the Department to push them to address the incredibly frustrating problems that students and families were experiencing.

"Now, many of those major kinks have been addressed, and I am much more optimistic about where things stand this year, and going forward.

"So I'm going to keep making sure it works well-but bottom line: students can expect a much smoother, easier process.

"And despite the challenges over the last year-we are already seeing more students get more aid, which is exactly why I pushed so hard to reform this process.

"We know now that, nationwide, 10% more students are on track to receive Pell Grants-not loans, Pell Grants-this school year than last year.

"And in Washington state, over 12% more students are now eligible for Pell Grants than just a year ago. Which means more people will be able to get federal grants so they can get a higher education.

"This is really important for students and families across our state to take advantage so that they can get access to the federal money to open those doors to higher education and it will be available for them immediately.

"So here's what high school seniors, college students, and families across Washington state should know: the FAFSA form for the upcoming school year is available now and you should get it done as soon as possible! It'll just take 10-15 minutes, as little as 18-20 questions-done with it, and you will know whether you are eligible and whether you can be eligible for financial aid.

"Even if you think you may not be eligible for financial aid, it is worth taking a few minutes to fill out that form and find out. And I think many students will be very surprised to learn they are eligible to get additional support-especially with the expanded aid that we helped to get.

"Filling out the FAFSA is the only way to unlock federal grants, assistance, and loans to help you get a higher education.

"Whether you're looking to get a four-year degree or to head to community or technical college, fill the FAFSA out!

"And now, thanks to the bipartisan reforms I worked hard to make happen, the form is shorter and quicker.

"Instead of over a hundred questions, it's now down to as few as 88. So it'll only take you about 10 minutes to fill it out.

"So I encourage anyone thinking about going to college, community college, or technical school next year-or who will be returning-to take a few minutes and get the FAFSA done.

"Unfortunately, our state has lagged behind in filling out the FAFSA-and that means not taking advantage of federal aid that they qualified for.

"In fact, in 2023, Washington state left $65 million in Pell Grants on the table because no one applied for them-so let's turn that around!

"That's the message I want to get across today: take advantage of every penny of federal grants available to you. Fill the FAFSA out-it's quick, it's easy, and thousands of dollars in federal grants could be just ten minutes away.

"And know that I am working hard to make sure students and families and people who work in higher education know this form is out there. Let's get it done. Let's make sure everyone gets access to higher education that qualifies."

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