A: The 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), branded as the "Better FAFSA," includes the biggest changes to the form and process in decades. The Better FAFSA will translate to a shorter and simpler form, increased eligibility for Pell Grants, and a reduction in verification, allowing more students access the financial aid they need to attend college.

A: Federal Student Aid (FSA) has announced that the form will open in December 2023, but no specific date has been announced.

A: Federal legislation passed in 2020 dictated the largest overhaul of the FAFSA form and filing system since the mid-1990s. The new form and user experience required purchasing new platforms as well as a total redesign which in turn required a long timeframe for preparation. The form should open on October 1 in coming years.

A: The number of questions on the form has been reduced. The new form will also allow for a much larger percentage of students and parents to have their financial information transferred from the IRS directly into the FAFSA. This enhanced process should make FAFSA submission a more efficient process.

A: No. Every student, parent, or spouse that wishes to log in and complete or sign the FAFSA will need to have a verified FSA ID. You will no longer be able to access a FAFSA with student demographic information only. It takes one-to-three days for an FSA ID to go through the verification process. Everyone should anticipate setting up their FSA ID at least one week prior to starting the FAFSA.

A: Yes. FSA is in the process of enhancing the FSA ID process so that individuals without SSNs will be able to establish an FSA ID to access and sign the FAFSA. There will be alternative steps for verifying one’s identity within the process. Complete details of those new steps have not yet been released. FSA will use TransUnion services to ask knowledge-based questions to help with identity verification. Examples of these questions may include current or former address, a previous phone number, an employer, or a home/auto loan. Answers will be multiple choice (including “none of the above”). The signature page process has been eliminated with the new form.

A: The EFC has been renamed the Student Aid Index (SAI) to better reflect that this number is an indicator that colleges can use to determine the need level for the student.

A: No. The new legislation removed the number of family members in college from the formula. However, the question will remain on the form and will be required to be answered. This information may be used by the colleges if they wish to take it into consideration when awarding institutional aid.

A: No. The new legislation removed the exemption for reporting the net value of businesses with less than 100 employees and family farms. The net value of these assets will need to be included when the student/family is required to answer the asset questions.

A: There are several changes coming with the new form:

• Significant reduction in the number of questions contained in the form.
• The FAFSA will be a strictly role-based form. When the student logs in, they will only have access to student questions. When a parent or spouse logs in, they will only have access to questions that pertain to their role. Only when the final contributor finishes their section will the form be able to be submitted.
• All students, parents, and spouses, regardless of whether they file a US tax return, will be required to check a box that grants the IRS permission to transfer any data they have directly into the FAFSA form. If no information is on file with the IRS, specific codes will be sent indicating that person’s status with the IRS. All contributors providing information on the form must grant permission or the student will not be eligible for any federal student aid.
• Family size will be based on the number of tax exemptions claimed on the tax form(s) that are being transferred into the FAFSA. If the family size has changed since filing the 2022 tax forms, there will be a family size question that allows for reporting the updated family size.
• Families with an adjusted gross income of $60,000 and higher will be required to answer the asset questions on the form. There is no longer an exemption for small businesses with fewer than 100 employees or family farms. The net value of the business and the family farm will need to be reported in the asset section.
• Child support received has been moved to the asset section of the form and therefore will only need to be reported for those families required to report assets. Child support paid out of the household is no longer a question on the form.
• The demographic survey questions regarding race, gender, and ethnicity have been moved to the student demographic section of the form. Students will still have the option to decline to answer the questions. Answers to these questions will not be used in any way to determine aid eligibility and these responses will not be sent to the state agency or any colleges listed on the form. Parents will not be able to view the answers to these questions and they will not be included on the FAFSA Submission Summary.