Published: Jan. 24, 2023 By

Link to Resource: “Prior-prior year” FAFSA increased aid submissions but likely not enrollment

Authors: Eric Bettinger, Stanford University; Oded Gurantz, University of Colorado; Monica Lee, Brown University; Bridget Terry Long, Harvard University. Published in Research in Higher Education.

The federal government instituted changes to simplify the FAFSA filing process – known as “prior-prior year” – which led students to submit their FAFSA substantially earlier and increased refiling rates for independent students. Nonetheless, the policy did not appear to substantially alter state aid receipt or postsecondary attendance for any groups.