FAFSA Simplification

The FAFSA is changing for the 2024–2025 aid year due to the passing of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Act on December 27, 2020, as a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act. We will continue to update this page as additional information becomes available. 

You can expect that the 2024–2025 FAFSA will: 

  • Not be available until  December 2023
  • Determine your financial aid eligibility for the fall 2024, spring 2025, and summer 2025 terms 
  • Provide a streamlined and easier application for students to complete
  • Include new terminology 
  • Expand eligibility for federal financial aid 

FAQS 

When can I complete my FAFSA?  

Instead of opening in October as usual, the 2024–2025 FAFSA will not be available until December 2023. This is only temporary. After the 2024–2025 aid year, the FAFSA will be available in October as usual. 

How will the FAFSA be simplified?  

The FAFSA will feature fewer questions and retrieve tax information more easily using a direct data exchange from the IRS. 

What does the new terminology include?  

Contributor: The FAFSA is introducing the new term contributor, which refers to 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. Being a contributor does not imply responsibility for the student's college costs.  

  • Students will need the contributor’s name, date of birth, Social Security Number (SSN), and email address to invite them to complete the required portion of the FAFSA.  
  • Contributors will need to provide personal and financial information on their section of the FAFSA.  

Student Aid Index (SAI): The need analysis formula to determine financial aid, formerly known as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), will now be referred to as the Student Aid Index (SAI). Unlike the EFC, the SAI may be a negative number. 

FAFSA Submission Summary: The Student Aid Report (SAR) will now be referred to as the FAFSA Submission Summary. This is the summary submission document you receive after completing the FAFSA. 

What other changes should I expect?  
  • Small businesses and family farms are now considered assets. The Department of Education will provide more details in the coming months.  
  • The number of family members in college will still be asked on the FAFSA, but it will be excluded from the federal, state, and institutional financial aid calculation. 
  • If your parents are divorced or separated, the contributing parent(s) is the parent (and their spouse, if remarried) who provided the greater portion of your financial support during the 12 months immediately prior to filing the FAFSA. It is not automatically the parent you primarily lived with during the past 12 months. 
  • All Contributors—student, student's spouse (if married), and student's parents(s) (if a dependent student)—must provide consent to have tax data transferred directly from the IRS to the FAFSA. If consent is not provided by all parties, the student will not be eligible for federal financial aid. In previous years, transferring IRS data was optional. It is now required. 
How can I prepare for the FAFSA? 

While the 2024–2025 FAFSA isn’t yet available, you can still prepare now. Consider taking the following steps: 

  • Create an FSA ID on the  Federal Student Aid website  and assist contributors, such as your parent(s) or spouse, in creating an FSA ID. An FSA ID gives you access to the Federal Student Aid’s online system and serves as your electronic signature. You’ll need an FSA ID to fill out the FAFSA when it’s available. 
  • 2022 tax information is required by you and your contributors (parent(s) or spouse) to complete the FAFSA. The easiest way to complete the FAFSA is by using correct tax information. You can determine tax filing requirements on the IRS website.   
  • Use the  Federal Student Aid Estimator  to find out how much federal student aid you may be eligible for starting with the 2024–2025 award year.  

Check back often for updates.