The 2024-25 version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form opened on Thursday, Feb. 1, and is available for students to submit.
By the last week of 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act. With the law passed, a redesign of the processes and systems was awarded to Federal Student Aid to help make the FAFSA form more feasible for students and their families to complete. In addition, the law can allow expansive access to federal student aid to students and families who choose to complete the form.
The changes to FAFSA are as listed:
The maximum number of questions has been reduced from 108 to 46 – the FAFSA on the web is dynamic, making the streamlined format a more simplified application process.
Applications will be required to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange – previously users had the option to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool or enter their tax information manually.
All “contributors” must provide financial information – parent, stepparent, spouse or anyone being introduced on the 2024-25 FAFSA.
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is replacing Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to more accurately describe the number used to determine aid eligibility.
The number in college will not be used to calculate SAI – the application will ask how many household members are in college, but won’t be calculated into the Student Aid Index.
Some students will automatically be rewarded with a Pell Grant – which will be guaranteed to students from households in the range of below 275% and 400% of the federal poverty level, depending on household structure.
The parent responsible for submitting FAFSA information has changed in cases of divorce or separation – the financial information on the new FAFSA will be required from the parent(s) who provides the most financial support to the student.
Incomplete FAFSA applications will expire – the original application will be deleted if not completed or submitted within 45 days.
Family farms and small businesses must be reported as “assets.”
Melanie Mulder, the assistant director of Financial Aid, has high hopes that the new changes will help make FAFSA easier and more user-friendly for students and families to complete.
“More than 86% of Ferris State University students rely on financial aid to assist with their educational expenses,” Mulder said. “The FAFSA is the key to that assistance. We want to assist students and their families in any way that we can to help them complete this important task.”