Education Department makes aid application available online

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available electronically and the department plans to release an online form in July.

The electronic form, called the FAFSA Express, has been available since January by downloading software from the department's site on the World Wide Web.

The completed applications are then transmitted via modem to the Central Processing System at the department. Students must still send a signed signature page, printed from their electronic application, to complete the application process.

"It's simply quicker, faster and better to use electronics to apply for financial aid," said Paul Hill, development manager for the Education Department.

The software and online application do not require any information that is different from what is now required, said Phyllis Bolt Bannister, director of student financial aid at the University of Arizona.

In order to use the software, applicants must have at least a 486 PC and Windows 3.1 or higher. Until the online application is available, users also need at least a 2400 baud modem.

According to the Education Department, the turn-around time for mailed applications is six to eight weeks, while the electronic forms take only three to four weeks to process.

Hill said the electronic forms decrease errors, and thus the rejection rate for applications.

"Using the electronic form, there is a 1.4 percent rejection rate, as opposed to 15 percent using paper-based forms," Hill said.

Bill Waterbury, operations manager for the Education Department's Central Processing System, said this year, more than 60,000 electronic applications have already been received.

Bolt Bannister said the UA received about 2 percent of its 25,000 applications electronically.

"We expect that number to grow, especially after it becomes available online," she said.

One of the disadvantages of filing electronically is that applicants must fill out entirely new forms each year they reapply. Using the paper filing method, return applicants only need to update six lines.

Bolt Bannister said students have the option of filing electronically and reverting back to the paper filing method the following year to renew their form.

Hill said there are very few problems with transmitting data via modem.

"The only concerns we have will be when FAFSA on the Web is ready, but we are taking care of that," he said.

The DOE is testing the security of sending personal and financial information online and plans to encrypt the data, to be deciphered only by its computers.

The only way for students to access the electronic method is to use their own computers, since UA Center for Computing and Information Technology labs do not use modems, said Linda Drew, computing manager for CCIT user support.

FAFSA Express is available for downloading at the Department of Education's Web site - http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/express.html. Applicants can also request a copy of the software on diskette by calling 1-800-801-0576.

Once the online method is available, it will be possible to apply through campus computing sites.