Due to the passing of the
FAFSA Simplification Act, the FAFSA is undergoing long anticipated changes that will take effect with the 2024-2025 award year.
The 2024-2025 FAFSA is for the school year of September 2024 through August 2025.
Changes include:
- The 2024-2025 FAFSA will not be available until
December 2023.
- Typically the FAFSA is available in October.
- The FAFSA application process will be streamlined and easier for students to complete.
- New terminology will be used in the 2024-2025 FAFSA (see examples below).
- Eligibility for federal financial aid will be expanded.
We will continue to update this page as additional information becomes available. You can learn more about the specific changes, timeline, and how to prepare below.
FAFSA changes for 2024-2025
FAFSA availability
Instead of opening in October, the 2024-2025 FAFSA will not be available until December 2023. This is only temporary. In future years the FAFSA will be available in October as usual.
Streamlined application process
The FAFSA will feature fewer questions, fewer requirements, and retrieve tax information using a direct data exchange from the IRS instead of the optional IRS Data Retrieval Tool. More applicants will be able to use the direct from IRS method requiring less time to complete and resulting in fewer errors.
New terminology and requested information changes
- The Expected Family Contribution (EFC), will now be referred to as the
Student Aid Index (SAI).
- The new SAI formula removes the number of family members in college from the calculation
- The new formula will require families to include the value of small business and family owned farms on the FAFSA.
- The FAFSA is introducing the new term,
contributor.
- A contributor is anyone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form, including the student, the student’s spouse, a biological or adopted parent, or the parent’s spouse.
- Expanding Pell Grant eligibility
- The adjustments to the new Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation will expand Federal Pell Grant eligibility to more students.
What you can do now
While the 2024-2025 FAFSA won’t be available until December, you can still prepare by doing the following:
- Create, or ensure you still have an active FSA ID and password on the
Federal Student Aid website.
- Assist contributors, such as your parent(s) or spouse, in creating an FSA ID and password, if needed.
- Step by step instruction videos are available below.