FAFSA changes for the 2024-2025 school year
The FAFSA Simplification Act is a piece of legislation aimed at simplifying the process of applying for federal student aid. It involves significant changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, which is a crucial document used by students to apply for grants, loans, and work-study funds to help pay for college.
Overall, the FAFSA Simplification Act is designed to expand access to federal student aid and make it easier for students to obtain the financial support they need to pursue higher education.
How this affects you
FAFSA application data will not be released to colleges until early April, meaning this year's financial aid award letters will be sent out to students in late April at the earliest.
Continuing students who are New York state residents will need to wait until the FAFSA applicant data is processed in order to submit their NYS Student Aid Payment Application for the NYS TAP grant.
When should I submit my 2024-2025 FAFSA?
New SUNY Fredonia Students who plan to begin classes in the fall of 2024 should complete and submit their FAFSA as soon as possible. Create/Log in to your StudentAid.gov account and file your 2024-2025 FAFSA today!
The Department of Education provides online assistance to answer many general questions about the process.
FAFSA changes for 2024-2025
These changes are designed to:
- Streamline the financial aid application process
- Expand eligibility for Federal financial aid
- Reduce barriers for students
- Provide a more user-friendly experience for the FAFSA
Need Help? Watch these!
- Create and Access Your StudentAid.gov Account (FSA Id)
- How Do I Create a StudentAid.gov Account If I Don’t Have a Social Security Number?
- Gather Information Required To Complete the FAFSA® Form
- How Do I Complete the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form If My Parents Are Divorced or Separated?
- Start Your 2024–25 FAFSA® Form
This is only temporary for 2024. After the 2024-2025 aid year, the FAFSA will be available in October as usual. Expect changes in how a student’s family size is determined aligning more with what was reported on the student/parents tax returns.
Starting with the 2024–25 award year, students and families will see a different measure of their ability to pay for college. The new need analysis formula removes the number of family members in college from the calculation and implements separate eligibility criteria for 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.
We will post more updates on this page as we receive more information from the Department of Education.