Financial Aid Form Simplification and Access Act
Latest action · Mar 20, 2007 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3386-3391)
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMar 20, 2007
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Financial Aid Form Simplification and Access Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise the process of applying for student assistance.
Revises requirements for the simplified needs test to take into account dislocated workers and recipients of means-tested federal benefits.
Directs the Secretary of Education to develop and use a simplified paper application form of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), to be called the EZ FAFSA, for students who meet the requirements of the automatic zero expected family contribution.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) phase-out the paper form (the long form or full FAFSA) for students who do not meet the requirements for a EZ FAFZA; and (2) produce, distribute, and process common forms in electronic format, including a simplified electronic application form on the Internet.
Directs the Secretary to make every effort to provide students with early information about potential financial aid eligibility, both through a widely disseminated printed form and the Internet or other electronic means.
Directs the Secretary to make special efforts to notify: (1) students who qualify for specified means-tested federal benefits of their potential eligibility for a maximum federal Pell Grant; and (2) middle school and secondary school students of the availability of student financial assistance.
Requires the Secretary to contract for or establish a toll-free telephone service to provide an application mechanism and timely and accurate information to the general public.
Increases dependent and independent students' income protection allowances, excluded in determining their need for aid.
Revises requirements for the determination of independence by students with special circumstances, and provides for electronic applications tailored to their situation.
Excludes certain untaxed education benefits and savings distributions from student need determinations. Sets forth asset attribution rules for qualified education benefits.
Revises the purposes of the independent Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance to reflect this Act.
Cosponsors 4
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Mar 20, 2007.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Original | Mar 20, 2007 |
| D-MA | Edward M. Kennedy | Original | Mar 20, 2007 |
| D-WA | Patty Murray | Original | Mar 20, 2007 |
| R-ME | Susan M. Collins | Original | Mar 20, 2007 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee | Referred Mar 20, 2007 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Mar 20, 2007Introduced in Senate
- Mar 20, 2007Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3383-3384)
- Mar 20, 2007Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3386-3391)
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S3383Text printed S3386–S3391 | Jack Reed D-RI (text) | Mar 20, 2007 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to simplify and improve the process of applying for student assistance, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Financial Aid Form Simplification and Access Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Education.
- Administrative procedure
- Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- College costs
- Computer matching
- Computer security measures
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Department of Education
- Dislocated workers
- Economics and Public Finance
- Education
- Education of the disadvantaged
- Education savings accounts
- Electronic data interchange
- Electronic government information
- Elementary and secondary education
- Families
- Federal advisory bodies
- Federal aid to education
- Foster home care
- Government lending
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government paperwork
- Government publicity
- Governmental investigations
- Higher education
- Identification devices
- Income
- Income tax
- Internet
- Labor and Employment
- Law
- Right of privacy
- Scholarships
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Secondary education
- Social Welfare
- Student aid
- Student employment
- Student loan funds
- Students
- Tax returns
- Taxation
- Telephone
- Welfare eligibility
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Mar 20, 2007Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
