Impacts of FAFSA Simplification on Need Analysis and Packaging Policies

The simplified FAFSA and changes to Federal Methodology are arriving soon and will impact need-analysis and packaging policies. Data-driven decisions need to be made prior to implementation. Whether using the FAFSA and/or alternative form (CSS Profile or an institutional aid application) to collect applicant-level data, how will the student experience change and how will institutional aid budgets be used consistently and equitably to award financial aid? Whether you represent a private or public institution, and regardless of the amount of your institutional aid budget, ensuring you understand the impacts of the changes is critical to meeting institutional enrollment goals and maintaining an equitable awarding process. This session will highlight one school's experience in using the NASFAA Student Aid Index (SAI) Modeling Tool and will encourage you to consider how your budget and packaging may shift, depending on your institutional profile. This session will not focus on software solutions.