FAFSA Simplification

IMPORTANT UPDATE

The Department of Education notified schools that they are currently working on processing the backlog of completed FAFSA applications. Keep an eye out for communication from FAFSA regarding any additional updates or steps needed.

At this time, we have not yet received FAFSA applications. We will be working hard over the next couple of weeks to ensure the system is updated as those applications are received.

The Department of Education notified that students currently are unable to edit their FAFSA applications but that the edit functionality should be made available sometime during the first half of April.

The Chaminade Financial Aid Office is committed to assisting and guiding you through any questions or concerns you may have. Mahalo for your patience.

Big changes are coming to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2024-25 aid year.

Simplifying the financial aid application process: the FAFSA Simplification Act is an initiative by the United States Department of Education to make applying for federal student aid easier for students.

This is the first major redesign of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process in over 40 years. It represents a significant overhaul of federal student aid, including the FAFSA form, need analysis, storage of federal student aid application data, and many policies and procedures for schools that participate in the Title IV programs.

Why is the FAFSA Changing?

From the U.S. Department of Education: “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 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.”

How Do I Prepare for the FAFSA Changes?

Create Your FSA ID(s) Today

Students completing the FAFSA for the first time, and all those contributing to a student’s FAFSA, can create their FSA ID before the application becomes available in December. An FSA ID is REQUIRED for all contributors.

Mark your calendar for December 31st, 2023

Be sure to complete your 2024-25 FAFSA once available. Priority deadline for the 2024-25 academic year is 03/31/2024.

Check here often for updates 

This is the biggest update to the FAFSA in 40 years! We will provide additional updates here as more information becomes available.

FSA ID

Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA^®, all users/contributors must have an FSA ID and password to fill out the FAFSA^®, even those without a Social Security Number (SSN). However, those without an SSN cannot yet create an FSA ID. We expect this access to be available around the same time the FAFSA^® is released on Dec. 31st, 2023. Processing your FSA ID can take up to 5 business days, so we recommend creating it at least a week before you start your FAFSA^®. You could even do it now!

*Eligible non-citizens, or contributors, without an SSN will need to, once available, sign up for an FSA ID and go through an identity verification process with TransUnion. Verification through TransUnion, if successful, is immediate and will not take 5 business days, as it would with SSN holders.

An FSA ID is a username and password that you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites. Your FSA ID identifies you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on ED websites such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).

Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA®, ALL contributors (student, student’s spouse, and/or parent(s)) must have their own FSA ID.

How do you get an FSA ID?
To create your FSA ID, please go to Federal Student Aid: FSA ID Creation.

To retrieve a forgotten FSA ID or password, please go to FSA ID Landing Page and click either the “Forgot my Username” or “Forgot my Password” links.

If you’ve got a Social Security Number (SSN), you can create it now! In general, because it can take up to 5 business days, we recommend creating it at least a week before you start your FAFSA®. For those without SSNs, the FSA ID creation system will likely not be available until after the FAFSA is live at the end of December.

What’s changing with FAFSA?

A contributor refers to anyone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA®, 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.

You, the student, will need the contributor’s name, date of birth, Social Security Number (SSN), and email address to invite them to complete the required portion of your FAFSA®.
Contributors will need to provide personal and financial information on their section of your FAFSA®. They will only be able to see and complete their own specific sections of your FAFSA®.
All Contributors must provide consent to have their federal tax information (FTI) transferred directly from the IRS to the FAFSA®.

If consent is not provided by all parties, you will not be eligible for federal financial aid. In previous years, transferring IRS data was optional; moving forward, it’s required.

If your parents are divorced or separated, the contributing parent(s) is the parent (and their spouse, if remarried) who provided the greater portion of your financial support during the 12 months immediately prior to filing the FAFSA®. It no longer will default to the parent you primarily lived with during the past 12 months.

The number of people in your family size will be automatically pulled in from your Federal Tax Information (FTI).The number of family members in college will still be asked on the FAFSA®, but it will be excluded from the federal, state, and institutional financial aid calculation.

EFC -> SAI

The final figure calculated by the FAFSA® will no longer be called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Rather, it will be called the Student Aid Index (SAI) to more accurately describe how that number is used to determine financial aid eligibility.

STUDENT AID REPORT (SAR) -> FAFSA® SUBMISSION SUMMARY

Similarly, the Student Aid Report (SAR) which is the confirmation of what’s been submitted will now be referred to as the FAFSA® Submission Summary.

The net worth of any small business and/or farm assets must be included on the FAFSA®.
Remember, net worth = asset value minus asset debt.

What’s NOT changing with FAFSA?

The FAFSA® will continue to be made available on an annual basis for federal financial aid consideration and students must meet the eligibility requirements to apply. It is the application CUH uses for consideration of all federal financial aid, as well as some institutional grants and scholarships.

The requirement that determines whether or not you, the student, are required to provide parent information on your FAFSA® will remain the same. The FAFSA® includes a series of questions and you must be able to answer ‘Yes’ to at least one question to be considered Independent for financial aid purposes. Read more»

The FAFSA® will use prior-prior tax data, which could be up to two years old. If you or your family have experienced significant changes in income or have expenses that are not reflected on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), your special circumstances may be eligible for a professional judgment. Read More»

KEY REMINDERS

The FAFSA^® for the 2024-25 academic year will be available starting December 31st, 2023. Schools will not begin receiving FAFSA^® applications until after the start of March 2024. However, the federal system will be processing the applications in batches, so some schools may not begin receiving applications until the end of March and throughout April.

Anyone who is asked to provide information on the FAFSA^® – Student, Student’s Spouse, Parent(s), and Step-parent(s).

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. If consent is not given, the FAFSA^® will not be valid. If consent is given, but the information from the IRS is unable to be transferred, then the contributor will be given a chance to manually enter the information. The important thing to remember is that consent for FTI information to be transferred must be given regardless of whether or not the information transfer is successful or if the contributor did not file taxes.

*In some cases, only consent from one of the contributors is needed. Example: Married parents who filed married filing jointly. The FAFSA^® application will provide guidance throughout on what is needed for your situation.

Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA^®, all contributors (student, student’s spouse, and/or parent/step-parent) must have their own FSA ID.