Indiana students could soon be required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a shift that supporters say could give students more money to go to college and convince more of them to enroll in higher education in the first place.

Indiana lawmakers want more students to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, but can't agree how to get there.

Experts call the FAFSA the most important financial aid form for students planning to attend colleges or universities, but filing rates have continued to lag in recent years.

The application is used to determine federal financial aid, but the state also uses FAFSA for consideration of several aid programs.

Indiana lawmakers are working on a bill to increase the number of Hoosier students who file the federal application for college financial aid.

A bill that would require students at public schools to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid advanced to the Indiana House after lawmakers approved the measure in a Senate vote Tuesday.

Most Hoosiers value education beyond high school, according to an annual survey, but almost three-quarters believe financial strains from the COVID-19 pandemic pushed higher education further out of reach.

There is not a new official filing deadline; instead, financial awards will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

The state deadline to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is less than a week away, and the state is hosting a virtual event Monday night to offer support for students who still need to file while stuck at home.

The window to file the Free Application For Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, for the 2020 school year opened this month.