Foster Care & Extended Foster Care, Juvenile Justice, Press Releases & Announcements

Congress passes legislation that will make it easier for students to get financial aid!

Congress has passed legislation that will greatly simplify the financial aid application process by 2023, with specific benefits for youth with prior involvement in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Changes include:

• • Shortening and simplifying the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • Removing the requirement that students register for selective service in order to get financial aid.
  • Fighting misconceptions about youth eligibility for the Pell Grant and extending eligibility to adults who are incarcerated.
  • Allowing financial aid officers to accept a wide range of documentation, including phone calls from agencies, attorneys, CASAs, and others, for foster youth, unaccompanied homeless youth, or other independent student status.
  • Increasing cooperation between FAFSA and benefits programs.

Read more about these important benefits in YLC’s new Federal Financial Aid Policy Bulletin.