On December 27, 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act. This included the FAFSA Simplification Act which is a sweeping redesign of the systems and processes used to award federal student aid. The goal of the Simplification Act is to make it easier for students and their families to complete the FAFSA and expand eligibility to more students.
The 2024-25 FAFSA process is unique for several reasons. Due to the revamped application, you can expect the following changes:
The 2024-2025 FAFSA will not be available until December 2023.
The FAFSA process will be streamlined and easier for students to complete.
New terminology will be added to the FAFSA.
Expanded eligibility for federal financial aid.
A better user experience.
We will continue to update this page as additional information becomes available. This will allow you to learn more about the specific changes, timelines, and how to prepare below.
Simplification Video
Updated Terminology & Information
Student Aid Index (SAI): Replaces the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as a formal evaluation of a student’s approximate financial resources to contribute toward their postsecondary education for a specific award year.
Contributor: Any individual required to provide consent and approval for federal tax information (FTI) along with their signature on the FAFSA ®form, including the student; the student’s spouse; a biological or adoptive parent; or the parent’s spouse (stepparent). Contributors will be determined by a student’s dependency, marital, and tax filing status.
Students will provide information for FAFSA to contact other contributors.
Other contributors (if needed) fill FAFSA out separately and do not see student information.
Students do not see information from other contributors.
If married and filed jointly the spouse does not need to log in as a contributor.
If living together/married and not filed jointly, the spouse will need to be a contributor.
FAFSA Submission Summary: Replaces the Student Aid Report (SAR) as the student’s output document providing a summary of data input on the FAFSA form.
Family Size: The definition of family size has changed to align with number of individuals reported as dependents on applicant’s (if independent) or applicant’s parents’ (if dependent) U.S. tax return.
Number in College: The FAFSA will still ask for the number of family members in college, however this will not be a factor in determining aid eligibility.
Timeline (updated Jan. 31, 2024)
The following timeline provides an overview of upcoming changes due to the FAFSA Simplification Act. Additional dates will be added as we learn more information.
Date
Item description
December 2023
2024-2025 FAFSA soft launched on Dec. 31, 2023
March 2024
FAFSA information will be shared with schools
Summer 2024
Award Letters will be available to students (date TBD)
An FSA ID is an account and password that gives you access to the Federal Student Aid’s online system and serves as your electronic signature.
With the FSA ID, you can fill out the FAFSA when it’s available, sign your Master Promissory Note (MPN), apply for repayment plans, complete loan counseling, and use the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Help Tool.
Monitor communications provided by the Department of Education for updates.
Monitor your LSUS email accounts for updates from the Financial Aid Office.
Complete the FAFSA as soon as it opens in December. Completing your application earlier can increase your eligibility for supplemental grants.
