Those in the United States who speak languages other than English can often face barriers to obtaining the assistance and knowledge they need to make informed decisions. A language barrier can often turn an opportunity into a time of doubt and discouragement.
Federal Student Aid, a division of the U.S. Department of Education, is taking steps to make it easier for non-English speaking students and parents to access information and assistance while completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The FAFSA form will still be available in English or Spanish, and there will now be representatives available at the FAFSA hotline to assist applicants in many more of the languages commonly spoken in the U.S.: Arabic, Cantonese, French, French Creole, German, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese. Callers will be able to dial 1-800-4 FED AID (1-800-433-3243) to ask for someone who speaks their language to assist them.
Federal Student Aid will be doing a soft launch of the Better FAFSA®, meaning it will be available to students and families periodically after release while they monitor site performance and form functionality. Check StudentAid.gov for detailed information. The 2024-25 FAFSA can be completed and submitted at FAFSA.gov.
You can also review our updated FAFSA publications at UCanGo2.org and StartWithFAFSA.org.