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The Financial Aid Application is Changing
The FAFSA Simplification Act has introduced a significant overhaul of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid starting with the 2024–25 award year. This includes changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form and many policies that will alter how students apply for aid and the method for determining aid for students.
Here’s some highlights for 2024-2025 Financial Aid
- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is scheduled to be released on December 31.
- The aid application will have fewer questions, hopefully making it easier for students to complete the application.
- The application will have new terms. Instead of “parent” or “spouse,” the form uses “contributor” to identify someone who is asked to provide information on the FAFSA® like a parent or spouse did previously and “consent.” Each contributor will be required to consent to their information being included on the FAFSA®.
- Each contributor for a FAFSA will need to have an FSA ID.
- The “Expected Family Contribution” in calculating how much aid students may get is changing to a “Student Aid Index.” This number measures the student and/or family’s ability to pay for college. The new formula implements a separate eligibility criterion for determining Federal Pell Grants.
- Eligibility for Federal Pell Grants is expanding. The new criteria will include family size and the federal poverty level for income. Incarcerated students in federal and state correctional facilities may be eligible. Lifetime eligibility will be restored for students whose school closed when they were enrolled or if the school is found to have misled the student.
Be Prepared
- Watch for the availability of the 2024-2025 FAFSA form on December 31, 2023.
- Use the Federal Student Aid Estimator to see what you may now be eligible for.
- The Department of Education plans to start sending colleges student FAFSA data around the middle of March. This is an update to their initial schedule of sending FAFSA data to schools at the end of January.
- Peninsula College will be downloading FAFSA data in early June, after necessary system updates are made to ctcLink. Summer aid applicants who are enrolled for Summer quarter will have their applications prioritized for review by the Financial Aid Office.
Want More Information?
Watch what the federal government has to say about FAFSA Simplification in their YouTube video.
Video URL
Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA)
How is the WASFA Impacted?
The Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) is for people who do not file a FAFSA. In general, a person should complete the WASFA if they are a Washington resident and undocumented or do not qualify for federal financial aid because of their immigration status.
- The Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) for 2024-2025, will be delayed and be available in December 2023.
- This page will be updated with WASFA changes and how state aid is impacted.
- Follow Washington Student Achievement Council’s WASFA website as well for additional resources.