When does FAFSA 2024-25 open? Here's when to start filing and what to know about changes

Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean
Updated ·2 min read

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, more commonly known as the FAFSA will not be open until December.

The application which students and families complete to apply for federal financial aid to attend accredited four-year colleges and universities is normally available every first of October. However, recent changes to the form will delay the start of the financial aid process for the 2024-2025 school year.

Although the date to file is delayed, it is recommended to be prepared with an FSA ID. Because it can take a matter of days for the ID to be verified, it is best to have this readily available when the application opens. Once an account is created it may be used to not only fill out the FAFSA, but also sign the Master Promissory Note (MPN), apply for repayment plans, complete loan counseling and use the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Help Tool.

In order to create an account you will need your social security number, your phone number and or email address.

Students and families complete FAFSA forms online during an assistance event at Greenwood Community High School on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020.
Students and families complete FAFSA forms online during an assistance event at Greenwood Community High School on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020.

When does FAFSA open for 2024-25?

The new 2024-25 FAFSA form will be available by Dec. 31, 2023.

Why will the FAFSA open in December?

The delay is due to the FAFSA Simplification Act.

The act includes various significant changes to the underlying processes and methodologies for determining federal student aid eligibility. It was enacted into law in 2021 and amended in 2022.

What other changes are coming to the FAFSA?

In addition to the delayed date, expect these other changes, starting with the 2024–25 award year:

  • Replacing the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) with the Student Aid Index (SAI) — The new need analysis formula removes the number of family members in college from the calculation, allows a minimum SAI of -1500 and implements separate eligibility determination criteria for Federal Pell Grants.

  • Modifications to family definitions — How a student’s family size is determined will align more with what was reported on the student/parents tax returns. Additionally, each parent will be required to fill out the form, as opposed to just one per household.

  • Expanding access to federal pell grants — The FAFSA Simplification Act will expand the Federal Pell Grant to more students and will link eligibility to family size and the federal poverty level. Federal Pell Grant lifetime eligibility will be restored to students whose school closed while they were enrolled or if the school is found to have misled the student. Incarcerated students in federal and state penal facilities will regain the ability to receive a Federal Pell Grant.

  • Overall streamlining of the FAFSA form — The FAFSA Simplification Act will remove questions about Selective Service registration and drug convictions. It will add questions about applicants’ sex, race, and ethnicity, which have no effect on federal student aid eligibility.

For more information about filling out the FAFSA form or the FAFSA Simplification Act, visit studentaid.gov.

Diana Leyva covers trending news and service for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Is FAFSA changing for 2024? Yes, here's when to start filing and why.