Answer: Yes, the determination supersedes the FAA’s disagreement. The U.S. Department of Education has made it very clear, in both the Application and Verification Guide and a Dear Colleague letter, that it is not conflicting information if a FAA disagrees with an authority’s determination. Therefore, that authority’s determination stands. “Conflicting information” would be very specific information indicating that a student is not an unaccompanied homeless youth. You can hear more about the FAFSA and homelessness directly from U.S. Department of Education staff in the webinar they did with SchoolHouse Connection in June.
For the FAFSA, a Financial Aid Administrator (FAA) can resolve “conflicting information” with a documented phone call or a written statement from the relevant authority. If the FAA simply disagrees with an authority’s determination, is that “conflicting information”? Does the determination supersede the FAA’s disagreement?
Aug 6, 2017 | Q and A