2024-25 FAFSA Changes

How the FAFSA Simplification Act Affects You

Big changes have been made to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application for the 2024-2025 aid year! 

The FAFSA Simplification Act was passed by Congress in 2020 and represents a significant overhaul of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid. This includes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, the need analysis that determines federal aid eligibility, changes in terminology, and many policies and procedures for schools that participate in federal student aid programs.

2024-2025 FAFSA Application is open!

Visit the Federal Student Aid website for the application.

What do I need before I start the FAFSA Form?

  • Determine the contributors that will be participating in your FAFSA.
  • Create an FSA ID and password for yourself and any FAFSA contributor. Creating your FSA ID and password now will allow you to be prepared to complete the FAFSA as soon as it becomes available in December.

 

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AN FSA ID

What’s an FSA ID?

An FSA ID is an account username and password you use on StudentAid.gov. If your child is a dependent student, two unique FSA IDs are necessary to complete the FAFSA form online:

  1. Parent’s FSA ID
  2. Student’s FSA ID

We recommend that you and your child create FSA IDs early so you don’t experience delays later in the process.

IMPORTANT: Your child must create their own FSA ID. You cannot create an FSA ID for your child. Also, when you create an FSA ID, you’ll be asked to provide an email address and mobile phone number. This is optional but highly recommended. These two items must be unique to each account. In other words, your email address and mobile phone number cannot be associated with more than one FSA ID.

How do I get an FSA ID?

Visit StudentAid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch to create an FSA ID. You’ll need your Social Security number, full name, and date of birth. You’ll also need to create a memorable username and password, and complete challenge questions and answers so you can retrieve your account information if you forget it. You’ll be required to provide either your email address or your mobile phone number when you make your FSA ID. Providing a mobile phone number and/or email address that you have access to will make it easier to log in to ED online systems and allow additional account recovery options. Important: A Social Security number, email address, and mobile phone number can only be associated with one FSA ID. If you share an email address with someone else, then only one of you will be able to use that email address to create an FSA ID.

FSA ID Tips

  • If you need to provide information about your parents on the FAFSA® form, one of your parents will need an FSA ID to sign the form. Your parent can create an FSA ID and then sign the FAFSA form electronically using that FSA ID. Not sure whether you’ll need to put your parents’ information on the FAFSA form? Check out StudentAid.gov/dependency. Remember: You should create your own FSA ID, and your parent should create his or her own FSA ID. Also make sure to use the correct FSA ID when signing the FAFSA form electronically.
  • When you first create your FSA ID, the use of your FSA ID will be restricted to completing, signing, and submitting an original (first-time) FAFSA form. You’ll have to wait one to three days for your information to be confirmed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) before you can use your FSA ID for other actions, such as submitting a FAFSA Renewal or signing a Master Promissory Note. If you provided an email address, then you’ll receive an email letting you know that your information was successfully matched with the SSA, and you can begin using your FSA ID.
  • If you forget your FSA ID username or password, look for the “Forgot My Username” and “Forgot My Password” links on log-in pages. These links will direct you to web pages where you can request a secure code to be texted to your verified mobile phone number or emailed to your verified email address. The secure code will allow you to retrieve your username or reset your password. You can also retrieve your username or reset your password by successfully answering your challenge questions. Remember: If you verified your email address or mobile phone number during account creation, you can enter your email address or mobile phone number instead of your username to log in.
  • Learn more about how you can use your FSA ID at StudentAid.gov/help-center/answers/article/how-cani-use-my-fsa-id-username-and-password.

What's changing with the FAFSA?

There are a number of benefits of the FAFSA simplification act, including a more streamlined application process and a better user experience for the FAFSA, expanded eligibility for federal student aid, and reduced barriers for certain student populations (e.g., homeless and unaccompanied youth, incarcerated students, English language learners, and students from low-income backgrounds).

Some fundamental changes include, but are not limited to:

The FAFSA will be shorter and more user-friendly.

The FAFSA will reduce the maximum number of questions from 108 to 46. And because the FAFSA on the Web is dynamic, some students won't even be presented with all 46 questions. This streamlined format will simplify the application process and make it less daunting for students and their families.

Students may list up to 20 colleges.

Previously, the FAFSA only allowed students to list up to 10 colleges and universities.

The FAFSA will be available in more languages.

Currently, the FAFSA is only available in English and Spanish. The 2024-25 application will be expanded to include the 11 most common languages spoken by English learner students and their parents.

Applicants will be required to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange.

Previously, users had the option to enter their tax information manually or use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Beginning with 2024-25, all persons on the FAFSA must provide consent for the Department of Education to receive tax information or confirmation of non-filing status directly from the IRS. In a very small number of cases, students and families will have to enter their tax data manually, but for most, that data will be automatically transferred into the application. This change makes it easier to complete the FAFSA and reduces the number of questions to be answered.

All "contributors" must provide financial information.

A contributor—a new term being introduced on the 2024-25 FAFSA—refers to anyone who is required to provide information on a student's form (such as a parent/stepparent or spouse). A student's or parent's answers on the FAFSA will determine which contributors (if any) will be required to provide information.

Contributors will receive an email informing them that they've been identified as such, and will need to log in using their own FSA ID (if they don't already have one) to provide the required information on the student's FAFSA.

Being a contributor does not mean they are financially responsible for the student's education costs, but it does mean the contributor must provide information on the FAFSA or the application will be incomplete and the student will not be eligible for federal student aid.

To learn who is a contributor on the FAFSA form, follow this link.

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is replacing Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

A notable terminology update within the new FAFSA is the replacement of the term Expected Family Contribution (EFC) with the Student Aid Index (SAI). This name more accurately describes the number used to determine aid eligibility and, unlike the EFC, the SAI may be a negative number down to -1500.

The number in college will not be used to calculate SAI.

Previously, the FAFSA calculated the number of household members attending college into the EFC, dividing it proportionately to determine federal aid eligibility. Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA, the application will still ask how many household members are in college, but your answer will not be calculated into the SAI. As such, undergraduate DU students with siblings in college may see a change in their federal aid eligibility.

Some students will be automatically awarded a Pell Grant.

Families making less than 175% and single parents making less than 225% of the federal poverty level will see their students receive a maximum Federal Pell Grant award. Minimum Pell Grants will be guaranteed to students from households below 275%, 325%, 350%, or 400% of the poverty level, depending on household structure. Pell awards between the maximum and minimum amounts will be determined by SAI.

The parent responsible for submitting the FAFSA in cases of divorce or separation has changed.

For dependent students, financial information was previously needed from the parent(s) the student had lived with the most in the last 12 months. With the new FAFSA, financial information will be required from the parent(s) who provided the most financial support to the student.

Family farms and small businesses must be reports as assets.

When required, families must now report the value of their small business or family farm. If the family farm includes the principal place of residence, applicants should determine the total net value of all farm assets and subtract the net value of their principal residence to determine the final value of their farm assets.

What isn't changing?

While the FAFSA is receiving an update and the aid eligibility calculation has been revised, there are a number of aid-related matters that will not change.

  • The general types of aid available to D'Youville students and federal student loan limits will not change.
  • The FAFSA will still be required for consideration of federal financial aid every year.
  • Dependency status questions that determine if your parent(s) must complete the FAFSA will remain the same.
  • The FAFSA will still request tax information from the prior-prior year, which means you'll report 2022 income and assets on your 2024-25 application. Families with significant reductions in income can consider submitting an appeal.
  • D'Youville admission application deadlines will not change.
  • The questions regarding an applicant's gender, race, and ethnicity will have no effect on federal student aid eligibility and are included for statistical purposes and data collection only. In fact, D'Youville won't even receive this data from the FAFSA.

When should I submit the 2024-25 FAFSA?

New students who plan to begin classes at D'Youville in the fall of 2024 should complete the FAFSA as soon as it becomes available in December. Returning D'Youville students should complete the FAFSA by the March 15th priority deadline. More information about the application process for undergraduate and graduate students is available on our website.

We plan to begin sending aid offers as soon as possible once the 2024-25 FAFSA has been released and we have received your FAFSA.