2024-25 FAFSA Changes

How the FAFSA Simplification Act Affects You

Big changes are coming to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application for the 2024-2025 aid year that Howard wants you to prepare for.

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 (FSA). This includes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, the need analysis that determines eligibility for federal student aid, changes in terminology, and many policies and procedures for schools that participate in federal student aid programs (like Pell Grant and Direct Loans).

We will continue to update this webpage as we receive more information from the Department of Education.

​​​​​​​2024-2025 FAFSA is available now!

While released later than in previous years, the 2024-2025 FAFSA application is available now.  All domestic and eligible non-citizen students are encouraged the complete the FAFSA right away. The updates from the U.S Department of ED on when we expect to begin receiving FAFSA results for the 2425 year is to be determined. Our goal is to begin receiving applications by mid-late April.

March 1 update from the U.S. Department of Education:

Processing Experience for Students

  • Students will receive an email from Federal Student Aid (FSA) informing them that their FAFSA form has been fully processed and their FAFSA information has been sent to the schools they listed on their form.
  • Students who applied using the online FAFSA form will receive an email that they can access their FAFSA Submission Summary by logging in to StudentAid.gov using their account username and password.
  • The U.S. Department of Education will send an email reminder to previous FAFSA applicants who have not yet submitted a 2024-25 FAFSA form.
  • Students will be able to make corrections to their FAFSA once their eligibility has been calculated and ISIR generated. Students may view their eligibility calculation by logging back into their Studentaid.gov account.
  • The U.S. Department of Education will fully process paper applications in the weeks following.

*Additional updates will be posted here when announced.

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 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.

The EFC is being replaced with the Student Aid Index (SAI)

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.

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 federal 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.

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.

"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 students with siblings in college may see a change in their federal aid eligibility.

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.

Some students will automatically be awarded Pell Grants

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 Grant awards between the maximum and minimum amounts will be determined by SAI.

Family farms and small businesses must be reported 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 students and federal student loan limits will not change.
  • The FAFSA will still be required for consideration of federal and institutional 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.
  • 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. Colleges will not receive this data from the FAFSA.

When should I submit the 2024-25 FAFSA?

All students who plan to enroll in classes at Howard in the fall of 2024 should complete the FAFSA as soon as it becomes available in December.  

The Office of Financial Aid plans to send out notifications to let you know the exact date the 2024-25 FAFSA will be available as soon as the Department of Education makes that announcement.