Free Webinar to Address Important FAFSA Changes

READING, Pa., Sept. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Starting Oct. 1, students across the country will be able to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using tax data that was filed the previous spring. And Alvernia University in Reading, Pa., is offering sessions to help filers understand the changes. A free, online webinar is set for Sept. 21, at 12 p.m.

Announced by the Obama administration last fall, students will now be able to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) earlier and to use "prior-prior year" income to complete the form. Specifically, filing for the 2017-18 academic year can begin on Oct. 1, 2016, using data from taxes filed for 2015.

"Previously, FAFSA forms couldn't be filed until January, and had to use the tax information that was being filed at the same time. Parents would have to wait to receive their W2 forms from their employers and then rush to file the FAFSA forms," said Christine Saadi, director of student financial planning at Alvernia. "This created a narrow window for colleges to send out financial aid packages and for students to use that information in their college choice decision."

The new timeline allows colleges to process and provide aid packages much earlier to high school seniors.

"Because incoming students will be able to see financial aid packages much sooner in the selection process, they'll have more time to find the all-important right fit," said Saadi.

> Register online for Alvernia's Sept. 21 "Early FAFSA Filing Information" webinar, or get help in person on Oct. 1, 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., in the university's Bernardine Hall lobby.

ALVERNIA is a thriving university that empowers students through real-world learning to discover their passion for life, while providing the education to turn what they love into lifetimes of career success and personal fulfillment, helping them make the world a better place. As one of only 22 Franciscan institutions in the country, Alvernia's focus on caring for each other, the environment and the community are joined with a challenging educational experience to provide an unparalleled environment to grow, develop and mature as a person and professional. 

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SOURCE Alvernia University

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