Tuesday Tips for January 2024

Five FAFSA Filing Pointers: *UPDATED TIMELINE*

PLEASE NOTE: This email is an update of the Tuesday Tips email sent on January 30, 2024. Initially, Federal Student Aid said that FAFSAs would be processed at the end of January. Yesterday, after the original Tuesday Tips email had gone out, Federal Student Aid announced that FAFSAs will not be processed until March. We've updated Tip #5 to reflect this latest change.

The new Better FAFSA was “soft launched” on December 30, 2023. The initial rollout was bumpy, but the ability to successfully file the FAFSA has improved throughout the month. Here are some pointers to help make FAFSA filing as easy and accurate as possible.

1. Create Federal Student Aid accounts (FSA IDs) at least three days prior to filing the FAFSA.

Each student and at least one parent of a dependent student will need to create their own Federal Student Aid account (FSA ID). We recommend waiting to file the FAFSA until the FSA ID has been matched with the Social Security Administration (SSA). This will happen automatically but takes about three (3) business days. Watch your email for confirmation of the SSA match, then you can start the FAFSA. 

2. Start the roles-based FAFSA at StudentAid.gov.

The new FAFSA is roles-based. Dependent students will have two sections in their FAFSA -- the student section and the parent section. Either the student or the parent can start the FAFSA by logging into StudentAid.gov with their FSA ID. 

If the student starts the FAFSA, they will only see questions that pertain to themselves. If the student is dependent, they will need to invite their parent by providing the parent’s email address and the exact legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number the parent used when they created their FSA ID. If a parent starts the FAFSA, they will invite their student by providing the student’s email address and the exact legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number the student used when creating their FSA ID.

When the invited party is ready to complete their section, they will go to StudentAid.gov and log in with their FSA ID. In the “My Activity” section, an invite with an “Accept Invitation” link should be waiting. Once they click on the “Accept Invitation” link, they will be taken to their section of the FAFSA. 

3. Provide consent and approval.

Every student and their parent(s) (if the student is dependent) will need to provide consent and approval to allow the IRS to share their information with Federal Student Aid and their school(s). Consent is provided by clicking the “approve” box at the bottom of the “Provide Consent and Approval” page. If the student or parent clicks “decline,” the student will be ineligible for aid. Once approval is given, tax information will transfer automatically into the FAFSA, though it will not be visible.

4. Read the FAFSA questions carefully.

In some instances, people are incorrectly clicking that they want to apply for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan Only. This would only be for students whose parents refuse to provide information on the FAFSA. To be considered for all types of aid, answer “No.”

When asked about receiving benefits from any federal programs in 2022 or 2023, you should only check “Free or Reduced-Price School Lunch” if a family member was eligible based on your income. (Federal Student Aid reversed its guidance on this question on Jan. 5, 2024.)

When asked about family size, be sure to click on “yes” to double-check that the number of people in your household is accurate. If the family size is wrong, update with the correct number of family members based on the definition provided.

If a dependent student is completing the “Invite Parents to This FAFSA Form” page, the student should provide information for only one parent. The information provided should be for the parent who has an FSA ID and who will be completing the form. Information for the other parent, if required, will be requested later in the FAFSA.

If corrections to questions are needed, those can be made once FAFSAs have been processed.

5. Know what to expect next.

Once the FAFSA is submitted, the student (not the parent) will receive a “We’ve Received Your FAFSA Form” confirmation email from the U.S. Department of Education. No FAFSAs will be processed until March. During this time, the status of the FAFSA on the StudentAid.gov site will show as “in review,” and students will not be able to view their FAFSA data or make corrections to the FAFSA. Additionally, schools will not receive FAFSA records until after FAFSAs are processed.

Once FAFSAs are processed, students will receive an email from the U.S. Department of Education. Students will then be able to view their FAFSA Submission Summary or FSS (formerly the Student Aid Report or SAR), make needed corrections, and/or add additional schools.

Though many people have been able to file the FAFSA successfully, system issues and glitches do remain. If you are having challenges or would like help filing the FAFSA, please join us for one of our upcoming in-person or virtual events listed at FAMEmaine.com/events. You can also email us at Education@FAMEmaine.com or call us at 1-800-228-3734. We’re here to help you navigate the entire financial aid process!

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