Financial Aid

Some of the changes to the FAFSA include:

• A streamlined form with less questions you have to answer and how long it takes you to complete the application.
• The use of consent for the US Department of Education to import your (or your spouse’s or parents’) tax information instead of you having to manual import it.
• The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is being replaced by the Student Aid Index (SAI) for a clearer explanation of your financial aid eligibility.

If you already have an FSA ID, you will use that one. If you have any difficulty remembering or accessing that ID, please see the studentaid.gov website to retrieve your ID or reset your password.

If you do not have an FSA ID, you will create one first. You will have to wait three days to receive your valid FSA ID.

The ‘parent’ that should be included on the FAFSA is the parent(s) who provided the majority of the student’s support over the 12 months prior to filing the FAFSA, even if the student does not live with that parent. There is a ‘Parent Wizard’ to help you determine which parent(s) are included on the FAFSA.

Yes, if your parent(s)/step-parent does not already have an FSA ID, they need to obtain their own FSA ID at studentaid.gov. It can take three days for the request to be processed.

How To Submit the 2024–25 FAFSA Form if Your Contributor Doesn’t Have an SSN

Check the status of your form starting in late January by logging into your studentaid.gov account and selecting your FAFSA submission in the My Activity section of the dashboard. Once ready, your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) including preliminary aid eligibility information will be emailed to you in late mid March (this is an approximate timeline).

Complete the FAFSA with your information and indicate that you have unusual circumstances (there is a check off box). Once the Financial Aid Office begins to receive and process FAFSA results (mid-March), you will be contacted to submit documents to continue the FAFSA process.

How To Correct or Update Your FAFSA® Form | Federal Student Aid

Please contact the FSA Help Desk at the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-433-3243.

Their hours of operation are:

• Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–10 p.m. Eastern time (ET)
• Saturday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Closed
• Closed on all federal holidays.

OR Email at https://fsapartners.ed.gov/help-center/contact-customer-support

The 2024-25 FAFSA is now role-based and requires a student and/or parent complete their own sections using their own unique FSA IDs. The student should complete their section, then invite their parent as a contributor.

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is a replacement for Expected Family Contribution (EFC). It is used to determine the amount of need-based financial aid a student is eligible to receive. The SAI is a rebranding of EFC in an effort to more accurately reflect what the figure represents – the amount of financial aid a student is eligible to receive. In the past, EFC created confusion and led students to believe it was a calculation of what they were expected to pay.

Not only has the FAFSA changed, but the formula determining eligibility is changing. In many cases, students will be eligible for more grant aid.

In addition, filing the FAFSA should be quicker and easier for students and families.