The FAFSA Simplification Act, enacted into law as an element of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, made significant changes to the FAFSA and the policies that determine financial aid eligibility. This page will provide updates based on those changes and the resulting effects for families and students.
Updates
- The 2024-25 FAFSA will become available in December 2023. Typically (since the 2017-18 FAFSA), the application becomes available each year on October 1st.
- Though the FAFSA doesn't become available until December, you can set up your FSA ID account username and password now. Do that here.
- The last day to apply for 2024-25 federal financial aid will be June 30, 2025.
Resources
- State financial aid deadlines may change for the 2024-25 year. Check studentaid.gov/FAFSA-deadlines for all FAFSA deadlines.
- Federal Student Aid (FSA) has published a draft detailing the calculations of both Pell Grant eligibility and the Student Aid Index (SAI), which replaces the EFC, that will be used with the 2024-25 FAFSA.
- FSA has released draft tables that list Pell Grant amounts for 2024-25 here.
- You can learn the timeline of the implementation of FAFSA changes on FSA's FAFSA Roadmap.
- Students with unusual circumstances can view this Fact Sheet to anticipate how to complete the 2024-25 FAFSA.
- MEFA hosted a webinar for school counselors presented by financial aid administrators, FAFSA Simplification with Financial Aid Experts. You can view the webinar recording here.
- FSA has a webpage designed for anyone assisting familes with the FAFSA, FAFSA Simplification: A Better FAFSA Process Means a Better Future for Borrowers, that includes fact sheets, FAQs, an infographic, a video, and other resources.
- The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) has a page that provides trainings, tools, resources, and news related to the new FAFSA.