Students at Wichita State have the opportunity to get Federal Student Aid to help them figure out ways to pay for college. But, with deadlines and gathering their own and their parents tax information, it still seems like a daunting task for many.

According to the WSU office of financial aid, starting with the 2017-2018 school year, it’s about to get easier. In 2014, President Barack Obama implemented changes to the FAFSA process and it’s happening now.

The office of financial aid has scheduled an event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 11 in the Rhatigan Student Center courtyard called “FAFSA Frenzy.” The event will allow students to learn about the changes and opportunities that an early application can give.

“This change is definitely going to make the whole process easier and less stressful for students and parents both,” Sheelu Surender, director of the office of financial aid, said.

Instead of having to wait until January to begin the federal aid process, students can submit their information as early as Oct. 1. Not only that, but students can use the tax information from the previous year’s tax statements.

For instance, students applying for aid for the 2017-2018 school year will use their tax information from 2015. Then, for the next year, they will use their 2016 information and so on, which makes the process more convenient for the university, students and parents, Surender said.

“It’s going to help not only our current students, but our incoming students as well because it really aligns the admission and FAFSA aspects,” Surender said.

Surender said that students would be able to know what grants and scholarships they qualify for sooner, so students will have more to budget for college expenses.

But what if a student’s family had changes in income, marital status or other circumstances that would affect a student’s loan amount? The Office of Financial Aid will be more than happy to help anyone make the proper modifications to their application to ensure the information is correct.