Upcoming 2024-2025 FAFSA changes

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Page updated April 4, 2024

FAFSA Simplification Act

The FAFSA Simplification Act, which was passed by Congress in 2020, represents a significant overhaul of the awarding and processing of federal student aid. Changes include updates to the 2024-2025 FAFSA form, the need analysis that determines federal aid eligibility, changes in terminology and many policies and procedures for schools that participate in federal student aid programs.

2024-2025 FAFSA is available!

The Department of Education launched the 2024-25 FAFSA form and the FAFSA is now available to be completed. Suffolk University began receiving FAFSA data in late March.

When the 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form first became available, there was a technical issue which prevented contributors without a Social Security Number (SSN) from starting or accessing the FAFSA. The Department of Education has made progress on this issue, and released additional guidance on how to proceed when submitting a FAFSA with a contributor who does not have an SSN. Please view the updates on visit the Department of Education website.

Once you have submitted your 2024-25 FAFSA, you may need to return to the application to correct or update some of the data you have provided. The ability to make these corrections and updates to the FAFSA is also now available. You can find helpful information on how to correct your FAFSA as well.

If you have not already submitted your FAFSA for 2024-25, please visit the Studentaid website as soon as you are able to do so. There are also more tips on how to successfully complete the FAFSA available. We appreciate your patience as the new FAFSA is slowly rolled out by the Department of Education.

When will Suffolk get my FAFSA?

Originally expected in late January, Suffolk began receiving the first FAFSA data in late March.

What does this mean for me, and when can I expect to receive my financial aid offer?

Due to the delay in FAFSA availability and receipt of processed FAFSA data, our processing timeline has been pushed back a bit.

  • Admitted students for Summer 2024 or Fall 2024, with a processed FAFSA, began receiving financial aid offers in early April. As more processed FAFSA data is received at Suffolk, additional offers will be provided on an ongoing basis.
  • Returning students with a processed FAFSA on file can expect to receive their 2024-2025 financial aid offer in May.

Upcoming 2024-2025 FAFSA Changes

The number of FAFSA questions has been reduced from 108 to 46. The shorter form will make it less daunting for students and families.

The SAI will replace the EFC as the eligibility index number used to determine how much financial aid a student will receive. This number results from the information the student provides on the FAFSA.

A new term for 2024-2025 is “contributor” which refers to anyone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA. This could include the student’s spouse, parent, or step-parent. Students will need the name, date of birth, Social Security Number and email address to invite a contributor to complete their portion of the FAFSA.

Determine if or which parent is considered a Contributor for the FAFSA. In cases of divorce or separation, the parent required to provide information on the FAFSA could be different than in the past. Effective 2024-2025, the contributor for the FAFSA will now be the parent who provided the student with the most financial support in the 12 months prior to completing the FAFSA.

You can create your FSA ID here if you do not already have one. This will be used to complete and submit your FAFSA.

Families must now report the value of their small business or family farm if asked to report assets on the FAFSA.

The FAFSA is available:

  • File your 2024-2025 FAFSA as soon as possible
  • Be sure all contributors consent to share IRS data and provide electronic signatures using their FSA ID
  • Once you complete the FAFSA and Suffolk University has access to your application, Student Financial Services will notify you if additional information is needed

Have questions on the FAFSA process?

Disclaimer

Suffolk University Office of Student Financial Services is dedicated to providing timely updates to students, families, and our community. Due to the significant amount of changes that are occurring, we will continue to update this page as we receive more information from the Department of Education and Federal Student Aid and appreciate your patience as we work to implement the changes brought by the FAFSA Simplification Act.

Additional Resources

Admission Information
Student Financial Services Information