Applying for college financial aid is getting a little easier.

The new FAFSA form is “shorter, simpler and more user friendly,” according to the US Department of Education.

“Simplifying the FAFSA is another significant action in our quest to keep a college degree within the reach of every person who aspires to higher education,” US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a press release.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid must be completed by all students who want to be considered for federal financial aid. Many states, colleges and universities also use the FAFSA to award aid.

At least one new change has already been implemented. Since May, applicants have received instant Pell Grant and student loan eligibility estimates, rather than waiting for weeks.

Additional FAFSA changes, which are scheduled to take place by January 2010, will make the online FAFSA easier to navigate and allow online applicants to easily get tax information from the IRS.

College applicants — and their parents — have long said that filling out the FAFSA is a tiring, time-consuming process. The new FAFSA form aims to make this necessary step in the college application process a little less so.

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