create equal opportunities for students seeking higher education. When the HEA was reauthorized again in 2008 lawmakers added a clause that schools must report information about who is receiving financial aid. Subsequent studies revealed continued inequality for students of color, who often had to take out more student loans than more privileged counterparts. Recent updates have been made to increase accessibility of financial aid. The original FAFSA form had 108 questions, which was a significant barrier for many low-income families seeking financial aid. The questions were broadly seen as excessively detailed and unnecessarily complicated, with students being required to dedicate several hours to completing their application. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 shortened the FAFSA from 108 questions to 36, to encourage more eligible students to fill out the form. In addition, students now have the option to link their IRS account with their FAFSA account to make the application simpler to complete accurately. The Consolidated Appropriations Act also opened financial aid eligibility to students that had previously been excluded from the program. See also College admissions in the United States CSS Profile Edifi FAFSA position (only relevant prior to the 2016–2017 academic year) Transfer admissions in the United States References External links The official government site for the FAFSA FAFSA4caster – U.S. Department of EducationFAFSA aid estimating tool Student financial aid in the United States Education finance in the United States University and college admissions in the United States United States government forms