DES MOINES — For college-bound students and their parents, January is more than the start of the New Year; it also marks the availability of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2013-2014 academic year. The FAFSA is a standardized application used to determine eligibility for federal, state, and in some cases, institutional financial aid.

System updates and enhancements have helped make filing the FAFSA easier for students and families.

“We encourage students and parents to complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov because the help features and built-in edits, which reduce applicant error, simply aren’t an option when completing the paper FAFSA,” explained Karen Misjak, Executive Director of the Iowa College Student Aid Commission (Iowa College Aid).  “With all of the recent enhancements to the online form, it only takes about 30 minutes to complete.”