Tuesday Tips for September 2023

Help Students and Families Get Ready to File the 2024-2025 FAFSA

Dear {First Name}

The 2024-2025 FAFSA is being completely overhauled and is delayed until December (exact date to be announced). The new Better FAFSA, as it’s being referred to by Federal Student Aid (FSA), will have fewer questions and a revised process. There are actions students and families can take now to ensure they’re prepared to file when the FAFSA becomes available in December.

Identify Contributors

“Contributor” is a new term being rolled out with the 2024-2025 FAFSA. A contributor is anyone who is required to provide consent and approval on the FAFSA. (See more about consent and approval below.) Each contributor will need their own FSA ID (the username and password required to log into the FAFSA).

The student is always a contributor. If a student is a dependent student, parent contributors will be determined based on their marital and tax-filing status:

• If parents are married and filed a 2022 joint tax return, information for both parents will be required on the FAFSA, but only one parent will be a contributor and need an FSA ID. 
• If parents are married and filed 2022 taxes separately, or if parents live together but aren’t married, information for both parents will be required on the FAFSA, and both parents will be contributors and need their own FSA ID. 
• If parents are divorced, separated, or never married and don’t live in the same household, the parent who provides the most financial support will be required to provide information on the FAFSA and will be a contributor and need an FSA ID. If the parent who provides the most financial support is (re)married on the day the FAFSA is filed, information for their spouse will also be required on the FAFSA. Unless they filed a 2022 joint tax return, their spouse will also be a contributor and need their own FSA ID.

If the student is independent and married, information for the student’s spouse will be required on the FAFSA. Unless they filed a 2022 joint tax return, the spouse will also be a contributor and need an FSA ID. 

Have ALL Contributors Create an FSA ID

To access the FAFSA and provide consent and approval, all contributors need an FSA ID that has been authenticated by the Social Security Administration. This process can take several days, so contributors should create their FSA IDs at least a week before they plan to start the FAFSA. 

FSA ID accounts are created at StudentAid.gov. Each individual will need an email address that they can access when creating their FSA ID so the email can be verified. Email addresses cannot be shared by contributors. If an individual does not have an email address, one can be created using a free email provider like Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail. Students should not use their high school email address. Instead, they should create a new email address.

If a contributor already has an FSA ID, we recommend logging into StudentAid.gov to make sure they know their username and password. If they are unable to access their account, now is the time to retrieve the username and/or reset the password. Once a contributor is able to log in, they should review and update their account information under Settings as needed.

Currently, individuals without a Social Security number are unable to set up an FSA ID. However, a new process will be announced soon that will allow individuals without a Social Security number to set up an FSA ID. Once this process has been announced, we will have additional information on our website.

Understand the Importance of Consent and Approval

Starting with the 2024-2025 FAFSA, Federal Tax Information (FTI) will be transferred directly from the IRS to the Department of Education. All contributors must provide their consent and approval for FTI to be transferred. This includes non-tax filers and those who file foreign tax returns. If consent and approval are not provided, the student will be ineligible for federal student aid, even if individuals are willing to provide the information manually. There are no exceptions; consent and approval must be provided for the student to be eligible for federal student aid. 

Discuss Who Will Start the FAFSA

The new FAFSA is a roles-based form. When an individual logs into the FAFSA, they will select their role: student or parent. Once they select their role, they'll see the questions related to that role. Either the student or parent can start the FAFSA. If the student starts the FAFSA, they will “invite” their parent to complete the parent section by providing the parent’s legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and email address. If the parent starts the FAFSA, they will invite the student to complete the student section by providing the student’s legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and email address. Based on the need to provide this information, families should discuss who will start the FAFSA.

Learn More—Attend an Event

Want to learn more about the new Better FAFSA and the financial aid process? If you’re a student, parent, or an individual interested in this topic, please join us for one of our Financial Aid Workshops. For education professionals working with students and families, we’re offering FAFSA Fridays, a monthly training series on the Better FAFSA, to help you support your students as they navigate the financial aid process. To see a list of all our upcoming events, please visit our Events page.

For more information, check out our recent webinar:

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