Students & Families

FAFSA Simplification Act: On Dec. 27, 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act. The law includes provisions that amend the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act and includes the FAFSA Simplification Act—a sweeping redesign of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid. Specifically, the law makes it easier for students and families to complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form and expands access to federal student aid.

• The 2024-2025 FAFSA process is going to look a bit different than it was in the past. Don’t worry, we’re here to help keep you informed!
• The application will not be available until December. To accommodate this later availability, we are extending our priority filing date to May 2, 2024. Please stay tuned for more details as they are released.

In 2020, the FAFSA Simplification Act was enacted into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

• Full implementation of major provisions will occur during the 2024–2025 award year (starting
  Fall 2024).
• The 2024–2025 FAFSA will be available in December 2023. The exact date has not yet been released by the Department of Education.
• Methodology will be introduced to calculate and determine applicant eligibility with a new
  need-analysis formula.
• Resources for completing the FAFSA form will be expanded to the 11 most common languages spoken in the United States.

Students and families will see a different measure of their ability to pay for college and experience a change in the methodology used to determine aid. The benefits of FAFSA simplification include:

• A more streamlined application process.
• Expanded eligibility for federal student aid.
• Expanded eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant.
• Reduced barriers for certain student populations.
• A better user experience for the FAFSA form.
• Enhanced data sharing with IRS to simplify the applicant’s experience.

2024-2025 FAFSA completion date

• Normally the FAFSA becomes available October 1st  each year, but the 2024-2025 FAFSA will be available by the end of December 2023.  As a result, we have extended our priority filing deadline to May 2, 2024.

The FSA ID is more important than ever

• To start the FAFSA, an FSA ID is required. Students and parents must have an FSA ID to fill out the form, including parents without a Social Security number.

The term “EFC” (Expected Family Contribution) is changing

• With the 2024-2025 FAFSA, the term Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be replaced with the Student Aid Index (SAI) – this is a new need analysis formula that we will use when awarding need-based grants and scholarships.

Streamlined application

• Questions are being removed, added, and rearranged.  You’ll notice fewer overall questions when completing the 2024-2025 FAFSA and an easier way to transfer tax information directly from the IRS.

The parent included on the FAFSA could change

• For dependent students with separated or divorced parents, the parent providing the most
  financial support must be included on the new FAFSA. For many students, this will align with the previous requirement of including the custodial parent – the parent living with the student.

New terminology

• You'll notice a few new terms like contributor (anyone who is asked to provide information on the FAFSA, a parent or student spouse for example) and consent (each contributor will need to consent to their information being included on the FAFSA).

• Contributor: anyone who is asked to provide information on the FAFSA – student, student spouse ,parent(s), and stepparent(s) for example.
• Consent: each contributor will now need to provide their consent to their Federal Tax Information (FTI) being included in the FAFSA, even if they did not file a U.S. tax return.
• Family Size: replaces household size.  The family size will be a number from the IRS related to the number of exemptions claimed on the federal tax returns. Note: there will be an option to change that number if it no longer reflects the accurate family size.
• SAI: Student Index Aid (SAI) replaces the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
• Financial Aid Direct Data Exchange: This is the new name for the process of bringing over information from the IRS. The previous IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) is being retired and replaced by the Direct Data Exchange.
• FTI: Federal Tax Information (FTI) transferred directly from the IRS.

• The number of questions will be reduced, and the application will maximize the use of previously collected data.
• Students will be able to list up to 20 schools on their FAFSA via the online application.
  The Student Aid Index (SAI) will replace the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). For more information, watch the new Student Aid Index video.
• Anyone asked to provide information on the aid application—student, spouse, student’s parent(s) and/or stepparents(s)—is called a contributor to the application.
• There will be two-step verification and all FAFSA contributors must have an FSA ID to log into the online form. There will be a new process to get an FSA ID for parents and spouses without a Social Security number.
• Each contributor (student, student spouse, parent(s), and/or stepparent) will have to provide their consent to provide their Federal Tax Information (FTI) in the new Consent to Retrieve and Disclose Federal Tax Information section of the FAFSA.
• A Direct Data Exchange with the IRS will replace what is currently known as the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT). For more information watch the Financial Aid Direct Data Exchange video.
• If any contributor does not provide their consent the Student Aid Index (SAI) will not be calculated, and we will not be able to determine the student’s eligibility for financial aid.
• For students whose parents are divorced or separated, the Custodial Parent on your FAFSA will be the parent who provides you with the most financial support and will no longer be the parent with whom you lived with the most over the past 12 months.
• Applicants will be asked to report their sex, race, and ethnicity on the FAFSA itself, but students will be offered a choice of “Prefer Not to Answer.” Schools and state agencies won’t see responses to these questions on the FAFSA.
• Foster, homeless, and unaccompanied youth—as well as applicants who cannot provide parental information—will be able to complete the form with a provisional independent student determination and receive a calculated SAI.

Students and families will see a different measure of their ability to pay for college and they will experience a change in the methodology used to determine aid. With the change to SAI, some students may see a decrease in financial aid eligibility. The SAI formula does not account for siblings in college and requires the net worth of all businesses and farms to be reported as assets.

The Student Aid Index (SAI) will replace the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

• The Cost of Attendance (COA) will be the starting point for calculating the SAI. COA
  includes direct costs (charges for which the university bills you directly) and estimated
  indirect costs (living expenses) to fund educational expenses for a year.

The formula for calculating the Student Aid Index (SAI) is: COA – SAI = Financial Need.

The new need-analysis formula:

• Removes the number of family members in college from the calculation.
• Allows a minimum SAI of -$1,500.
• Implements separate eligibility determination criteria for Federal Pell Grants based on federal poverty levels and family size.

Child support received will be included in assets and not as untaxed income.

Families who own a small business/farm that also serves as primary residence will now have assets of that business/farm considered in their need-analysis calculation.

The Pell Grant will no longer be adjusted based on enrollment status (full-time, half-time, etc.). Instead a student's Pell Grant and disbursement amount will be calculated using the student's Enrollment Intensity - which is a percentage value based on the number of credits a student is enrolled for during the term.

• CSUDH Financial Aid TV on FAFSA Simplification, SAI, Direct Data Exchange, and Pell Enrollment Intensity

• Visit csudh.edu/understanding-fafsa-simplification-faq

• Better FAFSA Better Future Timeline
• FAFSA Simplification Fact Sheet (Old FAFSA vs. New FAFSA)
• Student Aid Index Fact Sheet
• Students with Unusual Circumstances Fact Sheet
• Studentaid.gov – FAFSA Simplification