FAFSA 2024 – 2025 Revisions: What They Mean to You

FAFSA Revisions

BIG Ideas:

  • The Department of Education is changing the 2024 – 2025 FAFSA application to make it easier to apply and be eligible for federal aid.
  • The 2024 – 2025 FAFSA application was made available in December 2023 (not the usual FAFSA availability date of October 1).
  • You can stay up-to-date on the FAFSA application changes by visiting the Federal Student Aid website.

Change can do you good, especially if you’re a parent or student looking for financial assistance to help with the rising cost of college. That’s because the 2024 – 2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is changing to make it easier to apply and qualify for federal aid.

What’s not to like about that?

Changes to the FAFSA application are nothing new. To make it easier to complete and more effective in helping deliver aid, the Department of Education regularly makes FAFSA application updates.

For those applying for the 2024 – 2025, there will be some pretty important changes. To help you understand them and more importantly, see how they impact you, here’s a little cheat sheet:

A change in FAFSA application availability

The FAFSA application, which is usually available on October 1, was made available in December 2023. This change should be only for the 2024 – 2025 school year; you can expect to see the FAFSA application for the 2025 – 2026 school year on October 1, 2024.

Expanded eligibility

If that change doesn’t excite you, you might like the next one. The government has expanded eligibility, which means you may have a better chance of qualifying for federal aid. Yup.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, 610,000 new students from low-income backgrounds will be eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants due to updates to student aid calculations. That’s money that doesn’t have to be paid back.

A streamlined application

If you’ve spent any time filling out the FAFSA, you know that it can be a long and tedious process. The government knows, too, and is making some changes to streamline the FAFSA application.

With the new FAFSA, you can skip up to 26 questions, depending on your circumstances. In some cases, you can complete as few as 18 questions, allowing you to complete the FAFSA application in 10 minutes.

To learn more about FAFSA application changes, see the Department of Education’s “2024–25 FAFSA FAQs” playlist.

What you need to do to get ready

Since the FAFSA is critical to helping you make college more affordable, you need to stay informed about FAFSA deadlines and changes with up-to-date notifications and information. Here are some steps you can take to prepare for the new application and FAFSA deadline:

 

 

    • Stay up-to-date on the latest information: Visit the U.S. Department of Education website at https://StudentAid.gov and talk to the school’s financial aid office.

 

    • Check dates from your schools. Follow their communications and reach out to them if you have questions or need assistance. Keep in mind that financial aid programs can vary by state and institution, so staying informed and seeking guidance is essential to making the most of available financial aid opportunities and ensuring you meet the deadline for FAFSA application.

 

 

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