Washington’s redesigned state aid application asks for less information, adds six languages

Undocumented students and Washington residents seeking state financial aid will face a shorter application that collects less personal data for the 2027-28 academic year, a redesign aimed at protecting applicant privacy.

However, applicants must navigate a split rollout. The newly redesigned platform, which launched Oct. 1, is only for students applying for the 2027-28 Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA). Current students applying for aid for the ongoing 2026-27 academic year must still use the previous, older system.

The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) overhauled the form to protect students who are unable or hesitant to share their information with the federal government through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

“The least amount of data that we can collect to make that aid determination is the best way to protect students,” Shannon Venezia, WSAC’s director of student financial assistance, said.

After consulting the state Attorney General’s Office on legal data requirements, WSAC removed questions regarding checking and savings balances, investments, family businesses or farms, and home street addresses, since the council does not mail physical documents.

WSAC also dropped the Student Aid Index — a federal calculation used by aid administrators — and now relies strictly on family income and household size to evaluate state aid eligibility. Applicants who do not file federal taxes must still report earned income, including W-2 wages, 1099 earnings, and informal pay.

Despite the trimmed-down questions, the application’s privacy statement outlines circumstances in which student information may still be disclosed. Although the Keep Washington Working Act limits state agencies from using public resources to assist federal immigration enforcement targeting residents based on immigration or citizenship status, it does not guarantee that student information can never be shared. Under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security can seek protected student records with a valid court order, subpoena, or warrant.

WSAC says it will notify affected students of any such request unless the law prevents it. The agency also shares information with students’ selected colleges, which may not use it or share it for other purposes.

The redesigned WASFA adds Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese to English and Spanish language options. WSAC said human translators did the work, without artificial intelligence or machine translation.

Concourse, a software company that works with government agencies, built the platform, which runs on phones, tablets, and computers. WSAC also offers a publicly accessible demonstration site where students can preview the redesigned application before applying.

The average completion time is 16 minutes, and WSAC aims for under 20. The agency doesn’t have comparable data from the old application, so it can’t say whether the redesign is faster.

The main difference between the FAFSA and WASFA is the types of financial aid available, according to AJ Szenk, assistant director of counseling services and outreach at UW’s Office of Student Financial Aid.

Students who submit the FAFSA may be considered for federal Pell Grants, federal work-study, and federal student loans, as well as state programs such as the Washington College Grant and UW-specific financial aid. WASFA applicants may be considered for state and UW aid but are not eligible for federal financial aid through the WASFA.

UW generally recommends that eligible students submit the FAFSA, Szenk said. The WASFA offers another option for students and families hesitant to share information with the federal government.

A student’s citizenship status, not their parents’, determines FAFSA eligibility. U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens can submit the FAFSA even if their parents are undocumented. Parents without Social Security numbers or U.S. tax filings can also participate by creating a federal FSA ID, which does not require a Social Security number.

UW’s priority filing date for both applications for the 2027-28 academic year is Feb. 1, 2027. Students must submit a new application each academic year. Students unsure which application to submit can contact a UW financial aid counselor in person, by phone, or by email.

Szenk said some students do not apply because they assume they will not qualify. State and UW funding programs may support students who do not qualify for federal need-based assistance.

“Students who don’t complete an application are guaranteed to get no financial aid assistance,” Szenk said. “By completing the application, you are at least providing yourself an opportunity to be considered for aid.”

Reach contributing writer Danika Djuanda at news@dailyuw.com . X: @danikadjuanda . Bluesky: @danikadjuanda.bsky.social

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Washington’s redesigned state aid application asks for less information, adds six languages

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