As the first major redesign of the FAFSA in over 40 years, the FAFSA Simplification Act is an initiative by the U.S. Department of Education to make applying for federal student aid easier for students and their families. The changes to the FAFSA form for the 2024–25 aid year will include a more streamlined application process, expanded eligibility for federal student aid, and a new user experience for the FAFSA form.
All users will need their own StudentAid.Gov account (FSA ID)
Beginning with the 2024–25 FAFSA, all users/contributors must have a studentaid.gov account and password to fill out the FAFSA, even those without a Social Security Number (SSN).
Processing your account can take up to five business days, so we recommend creating it at least a week before you start your FAFSA.
A studentaid.gov account is a username and password that you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites. Your studentaid.gov account identifies you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on ED websites such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Beginning with the 2024–25 FAFSA, all contributors (student, student’s spouse, and/or parent(s)) must have their own studentaid.gov account.
To retrieve a forgotten username or password, please go to studentaid.gov and click either the “Forgot my Username” or “Forgot my Password” links.
You can create it now!
In general, because it can take up to five business days, we recommend creating it at least a week before you start your FAFSA.
What Has Changed
Contributors
A contributor refers to anyone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA, 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.
- You, the student, need the contributor’s name, date of birth, email address, and Social Security Number (SSN) OR mailing address to invite them to complete their required portion of your FAFSA.
- Contributors need to provide personal and financial information on their section of your FAFSA. They will only be able to see and complete their own specific sections of your FAFSA.
- All Contributors must provide consent to have their federal tax information (FTI) transferred directly from the IRS to the FAFSA. If consent is not provided by all parties, you will not be eligible for federal financial aid. In previous years, transferring IRS data was optional; moving forward it is required.
Which Parent to Use in Divorced/Separated Situations
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 no longer defaults to the parent you primarily lived with during the past 12 months.
Family Size and Number in College
The number of people in your family size is automatically pulled in from your Federal Tax Information (FTI).
The number of family members in college is still asked on the FAFSA, but is excluded from the FAFSA financial need calculation.
Assets
Child Support Received
The annual amount of child support received (i.e. in the last complete calendar year) should be included in the assets you report.
Small Business and Farm Assets
The net worth of any small business and/or farm must be included on the FAFSA. Remember, net worth = asset value minus asset debt.
Education Savings Accounts (i.e. 529 Plans)
For dependent students, these accounts are only counted as a parental asset if the account is designated for the student on the FAFSA.
Terminology
EFC > SAI
The final figure calculated by the FAFSA is no longer called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). It is now called the Student Aid Index (SAI) to more accurately describe how that number is used to determine financial aid eligibility. And, instead of a scale of 0 to 999,999, the SAI could be a negative number and the new scale is from -1,500 to 999,999.
Student Aid Report (SAR) > FAFSA Submission Summary
Similarly, the Student Aid Report (SAR) which is the confirmation of what has been submitted is now referred to as the FAFSA Submission Summary.
Unusual Circumstances
Dependent students who indicate that they have unusual circumstances that prevent them from providing parent data no longer receive a rejected FASFA but instead have their application processed with a provisional independent status, a provisional SAI, and an estimate of federal student aid eligibility.
If you are a student in this situation, you will not be eligible for federal financial aid until you have provided additional documentation to our office.
What Hasn't Changed
Basic Eligibility
The FAFSA will be made available on an annual basis for federal financial aid consideration and students must meet the eligibility requirements.
Dependency Status
The requirement that determines whether or not you, the student, are required to provide parent information on your FAFSA remains the same. The FAFSA includes a series of questions and you must be able to answer ‘Yes’ to at least one question to be considered independent for financial aid purposes. Learn more at Applying for Aid.
Prior-Prior Year Tax Data
The FAFSA uses prior-prior tax data, which could be up to two years old.
If you or your family have experienced significant changes in income or have expenses that are not reflected on the FAFSA, your special circumstances may be eligible for a professional judgment. Learn more on Changes in Financial Circumstances.