FAFSA Simplification

Completing Your 2024-2025 FAFSA

FSA ID: Now more important than ever!

You’ll need this in order to complete your FAFSA. If Federal Student Aid considers you a dependent student, one or both parents will need to create their own, separate FSA ID. Set up or retrieve your FSA now. Both the student and any other “contributors” will need their own IDs. You can also watch this video for assistance. The FSA ID will need to be created at least 2-3 business days prior to accessing and completing the FAFSA.

Here are additional videos provided by Federal Student Aid to assist you:

• Who is Considered a Contributor on the 2024-2025 FAFSA form?
• Start your 2024-2025 FAFSA
• Complete the Personal Circumstances and Demographics Section
• Complete the Financials Section
• Enter Schools (CCV’s school code is 011167)
• Review, Sign, and Submit

Benefits of FAFSA Simplification

• The FAFSA will feature fewer questions, fewer requirements, and retrieve tax information using a direct data exchange from the IRS instead of the previous IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
• The adjustments to the new Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation will expand Federal Pell Grant eligibility to more students.
• The FAFSA may lower the need for students to submit tax or household information to verify information on the FAFSA is correct.
• Reduced barriers for certain populations of students, including homeless and unaccompanied youth, incarcerated students, English language learners, and students from low-income backgrounds.

Changes in FAFSA Language

Contributor
This refers to anyone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form, including the student, the student’s spouse, a biological or adopted parent, or the parent’s spouse. Being a contributor does not imply responsibility for the student’s college costs. Click here to see if your parent is considered a contributor.

Each Contributor (student, student’s spouse, parent(s), and/or stepparent) will have to provide consent to complete the FAFSA. If any contributors do not provide their consent, the SAI will not be calculated, and eligibility for financial aid cannot be determined.

FAFSA Privacy Act Consent
Formal consent provided by an applicant and any applicable contributor(s) for a given FAFSA cycle. This ensures any individual gives permission to use their personally identifiable information to calculate financial aid eligibility.

FAFSA Submission Summary
Replaces the Student Aid Report (SAR). This provides a summary of data input on the FAFSA form.

Family Size
Replaces the term “household size” on the FAFSA form.

Federal Tax Information (FTI)
The data and information related to federal tax paying. It includes a tax return or return information received directly from the IRS or obtained through an authorized secondary source such as the U.S. Department of Education.

Student Aid Index (SAI)
Replaces the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as a formal evaluation of a student’s approximate financial resources to contribute toward their postsecondary education for a specific award year.

Other Key Changes

• Small businesses and family farms are now considered assets. The Department of Education will provide more details in the coming months.
• The number of family members in college will still be asked on the FAFSA, but it will be excluded from the federal financial aid calculation.
• Students will be able to list up to 20 postsecondary institutions on the FAFSA.
• Students who are considered independent due to homelessness or qualifying dependency override no longer need to recertify their dependency status each year unless their situation changes.