Dear Education Partners,
Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced that beginning with the 2014-2015 federal student aid form, the Department will – for the first time – collect income and other information from a dependent student’s legal parents regardless of the parents’ marital status or gender, if those parents live together. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will provide a new option for dependent applicants to describe their parents’ marital status as “unmarried and both parents living together.” Additionally, where appropriate, the new FAFSA will use terms like “Parent 1” and “Parent 2” instead of gender-specific terms such as “mother” and “father.” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, “All students should be able to apply for federal student aid within a system that incorporates their unique family dynamics. These changes will allow us to more precisely calculate federal student aid eligibility based on what a student’s whole family is able to contribute and ensure taxpayer dollars are better targeted toward those students who have the most need, as well as provide an inclusive form that reflects the diversity of American families.” You can read our press release below and here. We ask for your assistance in sharing this information with your members, affiliates and networks. Thank you, Robert Gomez | Higher Education and Youth Liaison Office of Communications and Outreach | United States Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave, SW | Washington, D.C. 20202
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