2024-25 FAFSA CHANGES

What You Need to Know

 

  • The 2024-25 FAFSA form will be released in December 2023.

Normally, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens on October 1 every year. That will still be true in future years, but for the 2024-25  year, it is going to be delayed due to all the changes. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) will announce an exact date of release before December 2023.

The FAFSA can be accessed at here.

  • A Federal Student Aid identification (FSA ID) is required for everyone.

Students and parents will not be able to access the FAFSA without setting up an FSA ID first. An FSA ID will be able to be created using a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). It will take 1-3 days before it can be used to access the FAFSA.

Parents who do not have an SSN or ITIN will also need to create an FSA ID. They are directed through a knowledge-based identity authentication process, which will allow anyone, including undocumented contributors, to create an FSA ID. More details on this will be available by December 2023.

  • What is a “contributor” to the FAFSA?

A contributor is anyone who is required to provide information on a student's FAFSA (such as a parent/stepparent or spouse). A student's answers on the FAFSA will determine which contributors (if any) will be required to provide information.

Students will need to provide the contributor’s name, date of birth, SSN, and email address to invite them to complete their portion of the FAFSA. Contributors will need to provide personal and financial information on the FAFSA.

Students and contributors will only be able to see questions required for themselves; they will not be able to see each other’s questions and answers. 

A contributor is not responsible for the student's education costs, but they do need to provide information on the FAFSA or it will be incomplete and the student will not be eligible for federal or state student aid.

  • The Direct Data Exchange (DDX) will replace the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

All students and contributors will be required to use the FUTURE Act Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX) to transfer tax information from the IRS to the FAFSA or to confirm non-filing status. This replaces the previous IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Any information transferred over will not be visible on the form to the student or contributor. This change makes it easier to complete the FAFSA and reduces the number of questions to be answered.

  • Consent is required to transfer tax information.

All students and contributors must provide consent to have their federal tax information (FTI) transferred from the IRS, have their tax data used to determine the student's eligibility for aid, and allow ED to share their tax information with institutions and state higher education agencies for the administration of Title IV aid. Consent is provided once for the award year and cannot be revoked in that award year. This consent is necessary even if the contributor does not have an SSN, did not file taxes, or filed taxes in another country.

Contributors cannot avoid providing consent by manually entering FTI on the FAFSA. If a student or spouse (if applicable) contributor does not provide consent, the FAFSA will be considered incomplete and aid eligibility will not be calculated.

  • Student Aid Index (SAI) is replacing Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

The EFC is being replaced by 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.

Family size (not household size anymore) will be based on the number of people claimed as exemptions on tax forms filed for the people reported on the FAFSA. There will be an option to modify that number during the aid year if it is no longer an accurate reflection of family size.  

The number of family members in college will no longer be used to calculate aid eligibility. 

Please watch for information around campus and, as always, check your student email for further information for the 2024-2025 academic year. 

LBCC Office of Financial Aid & Veterans
P: 541-917-4864 | E: faoffice@linnbenton.edu