Changes to the 2024-2025 FAFSA application, that will simplify the application process and affect eligibility for financial aid benefits, will be in effect by December.
While the exact nature of the changes are still being finalized, its purpose is to provide students and parents with information in a direct and effective manner.
“The overall attempt is to make it simpler for families to understand and fill out,” Jason Avila, the financial aid director said.
Applicants will be required to share their tax income information from the IRS with the Department of Education. This will give applicants the ability to transfer information directly to the FAFSA form, rather than having to enter everything manually.
“We want to roll this out to as many students as possible,” financial aid specialist Benjamin Chase said. “To have information be directly from federal government sources so students don’t have to try to figure out what this is or where it came from.”
These changes come as a result of the FUTURE Act, passed by Congress in December 2019, which simplifies FAFSA applications by reducing the number of questions students need to answer.
“There were a lot of questions that weren’t applicable anymore,” Avila said. “Many students avoided applying for financial aid services because the process was so daunting.”
The changes will also affect how the federal government determines eligibility for financial aid.
“The Student Aid Index (SAI) will go all the way down to -1,500 instead of stopping at zero,” said Avila.
This number will replace the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and will be used to calculate the amount of aid a student will receive based on their financial needs.
For example, an applicant with an SAI of zero or lower has a greater chance of receiving more federal aid.
Eligibility for The Pell Grant will now be calculated based on the number of credits a student is enrolled in for that period, said Avila.
Additionally, Avila said the new application will no longer take into account the number of family members in college.
FAFSA applications are typically available to students beginning Oct. 1, but because of the incoming changes, the forms will not be available until December.
This period of uncertainty has made communicating with students stressful.
“Historically, we do workshops and presentations so students know what they need to get and who they can meet with,” Chase said. “But because they haven’t finalized those changes, we haven’t been able to do any of that.”
Avila said: “A lot of things are still changing on a day to day basis. We haven’t seen the new forms yet.”
Despite the unpredictability, resources are available to help students with any questions they may have.
“More workshops will be coming in January and February, and computers are available at both campuses,” said Avila.
Chase said students should make sure their Federal Student Aid (FSA) information, including date of birth, social security number and 2022 tax information is up to date for a smoother application process.
“We have to be flexible,” said Avila. “It’s allowing (the financial aid department) extra time and students extra time to navigate these changes together.”