By Kristy Volmert | Staff Writer
According to Student Financial Wellness Program director Jason Rounke, the brand new FAFSA form has distinct differences from last year’s and is being worked on in hopes that many issues will be improved.
“Another change to this year’s FAFSA is that everybody who participates in filing the FAFSA has to consent to having the IRS share the information that they have with the U.S. Department of Education,” Rounke said.
This change is a big improvement in the FAFSA process, according to Rounke. Last year, participants had to match information on the FAFSA directly to information from the IRS, and discrepancies caused many issues. Now, however, the FAFSA gets the information directly from the IRS.
There are further delays expected for the 2025-2026 FAFSA form.
According to Rounke, the FAFSA was supposed open next month, but is again expected to be released late, sometime in December. However, it should be well-improved, and the reasons for such delays relate to the work that is being done to improve the form, Rounke said.
“The main changes with the new form should be really helpful once they get all of the kinks worked out. The fact that parents and students can each file their own form with the Department of Education then connecting those together is really helpful,” Rounke said.
Chief Financial Officer Curtis Reynolds said that Baylor is utilizing these programs, FAFSA workshops and classes to develop financially intelligent students.
“Financial wellness is more of a holistic program,” Reynolds said. “We educate students on loans, aid [and] available scholarships.”
According to Reynolds, many students coming into college — and sometimes their parents — don’t clearly understand the best course of action for their individual financial situation. They plan to help educate students on their finances early on.
“What we’re doing this year is new. We’re actually implementing the process into the wellness program where we will be educating students and even prospective students early on,” Reynolds said.
