2021-2022 Federal Student Aid Handbook Errata and Updates

The errata and updates below are items that were amended after the initial files were posted to the web. For updates to the previous edition of the Federal Student Aid Handbook, see the introduction section contained within each volume. For questions about the Handbook contents, you can contact the Schools Publications staff at: fsaschoolspubs@ed.gov.

Application and Verification Guide

Date

Description

Location

Updates published July 29, 2021.

Under Step One: General Student Information, we inserted a new paragraph outlining the elimination of the
prohibition on receiving Title IV aid for students with drug related convictions and the requirement, for Title IV eligibility purposes, that male students register with the Selective Service system before the age of 26

Chapter 2, "Step One: General Student Information," p. AVG-11

Updates published July 29, 2021.

Within Chapter 4, we inserted new paragraphs outlining the new verification waiver eliminating the requirement for schools to complete verification for the remainder of the 2021-2022 award year for students selected under Verification Tracking Flag “V1” and only requiring verification of Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose and High School Completion Status under Verification Tracking Groups V4 and V5.

Chapter 4, p. AVG-59 and "Verification Tracking Groups," p. AVG-61

Volume 1- Student Eligibility

Date

Description

Location

Updates published July 29, 2021.

In Volume 1, Chapter 1, under the heading “Students Convicted of Possession or Sale of Drugs” we updated the Department’s guidance, per the FAFSA Simplification Act and Section 484 of the HEA, to state that although the drug question remains on the 2021-2022 FAFSA, for 2021-2022 awards a student who has a drug-related conviction is no longer prohibited from receiving Title IV funds.

Volume 1, Chapter 1, “Students Convicted of Possession or Sale of Drugs,” p. 1-33

Updates published July 29, 2021.

In Volume 1, Chapter 5, we deleted most guidance related to Selective Service to reflect the fact that the FAFSA Simplification Act eliminated the requirement for male students to register with the Selective Service before the age of 26 as a condition of Title IV eligibility. For the 2021-2022 award year, the Selective Service questions will remain on the FAFSA, but schools must ignore any Selective Service-related Comment Codes and must award and disburse Title IV aid to students if they meet all other eligibility criteria.

Volume 1, Chapter 5, p. 1-95

Updates published July 29, 2021.

In Volume 1, Chapter 6, under the sub-heading “Subsidized Loan Eligibility Time Limitation (150% rule)” we updated the Department’s guidance, per the FAFSA Simplification Act, to state that the limitation on first-time borrowers receiving Direct Subsidized Loans for a period of only up to 150% of the published length of their academic program (also known as Subsidized Usage Limit Applies, or SULA) has been eliminated.

Volume 1, Chapter 6, “Direct Loans; Subsidized Loan Eligibility Time Limitation,” p. 1-107

Volume 2 - School Eligibility and Operations

Date

Description

Location

Updates published January 26, 2022.

In Volume 2, Chapter 2, under the heading “Clock-hour to Credit-Hour Conversion Example” we corrected the credit hours assigned by the school for course 4 from 2 to 4 credits. As a result of this update, the total credit hours for the program as assigned by the school was changed from 27 to 29. Both charts in the example were updated to reflect this change.

Volume 2, Chapter 2, “Clock-hour to Credit-Hour Conversion Example,” p. 2-54 and p. 2-55

Last Modified: 06/05/2022 • Published: 07/29/2021