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FAFSA processing for 1997/98

PublicationDate: 10/31/96
Summary: FAFSA processing for 1997/98
Author: ODAS - Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary - SFA

October 31, 1996

Dear Colleagues:

This is the second of a series of messages that I will send you over the next four months
to keep you informed about the FAFSA processing for 1997/98.

I am pleased to announce that as of October 28, we have completed our distribution of
the 1997-98 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to high schools. To date,
our high school distribution amounts to 3.3 million copies, distributed to approximately
19,700 high schools.

Even before we completed the high school distribution, we began blending in shipments
to postsecondary schools, beginning on October 22. To date, we have shipped
approximately 2.4 million FAFSAs to postsecondary schools (all in western states). Now
that the high school mailing is completed, we will focus all our efforts on completing the
postsecondary distribution as rapidly as possible.

Our initial mailout to postsecondary schools will total approximately 11.8 million
FAFSAs, and we expect to complete it by November 7. As we have announced earlier,
we will switch back and forth between mailing to western states and mailing to eastern
states, to ensure a geographically even distribution of forms. For all our customers, of
course, we will continue to fill orders and reorders promptly throughout the year.

I am also pleased to report that we have met all milestones to date for the startup of the
1997-98 processing system on January 10, and that we are also on track in our
development of the 1997-98 version of FAFSA Express, which will be available by the
end of December for downloading from the world wide web at:

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/express.html

I want to thank you for your continuing cooperation, and to assure you that in the
coming year, we will continue to seek your input on ways we can serve you better, and
on ways we can all serve students better.

Respectfully submitted,

Elizabeth M. Hicks
Deputy Assistant Secretary
Student Financial Assistance