FAFSA Updates and Answers

FAFSA 2024/2025

The significant improvements to the 2024–25 FAFSA form expand eligibility for federal student aid, helping an estimated 610,000 more students get Federal Pell Grants. Recipients will receive more aid, with nearly 1.5 million additional students receiving the maximum Pell Grant award. The new FAFSA form also provides a streamlined user experience for students and their families. Millions of students and families will benefit from the Department’s effort to streamline the FAFSA experience, so applicants only see relevant questions based on the answers they provide.

You may have questions regarding these changes. Our financial aid department is here to help answer any questions. Please feel free to contact finaid@aquinas.edu or (616) 632-2893.

 

File the 2024-25 FAFSA 

Completing the FAFSA is the best way to maximize a student’s potential financial aid eligibility.  The State of Michigan also uses this information to determine eligibility for state grants, so students do not need a separate application for state aid. 

FILE THE FAFSA NOW

 

Delays in Financial Aid Packages

In their most recent press release, the Department of Education states they are targeting early to mid-March to send FAFSA information to ALL institutions. 

Because all institutions need this information to create financial aid packages, complete Financial Aid offers for students and families will be delayed as well.  

Once Aquinas has received FAFSA information from the Department of Education, we will package and send out a Financial Aid offer as soon as possible to assist students and families in determining the true cost of attending Aquinas College.  

 

More Information about the 2024/2025 FAFSA

  • The FAFSA will be available this year in December 2023 instead of Oct. 1.
  • The FAFSA will be streamlined and more user-friendly with fewer questions.
  • The Student Aid Index (SAI) will replace the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
  • Federal aid eligibility will be extended to more students. 
  • IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX) makes entering tax information easier and will require students, spouses, and parents to transfer their 2022 tax information or non-filing status.
  • The number of family members in college will no longer factor into the FAFSA calculation.
  • Untaxed items such as payments to tax-deferred retirement or pension plans, veteran’s non-educational benefits, and worker’s compensation will no longer be required.
  • Parent assets will now include the net worth of all businesses and the net worth of a family farm, if applicable.
  • For divorced or separated parents: The parent who provided the most financial support to the student will need to provide their information. Previously, the parent whom the student lived with the most provided their information.
  • Everyone contributing to the FAFSA form online must have an account on the Federal Student Aid (FSA) website. Each contributor, including the student, will access their account with their own FSA ID (account username and password).

Student Aid Index (SAI): Calculated by FAFSA data and will determine student aid eligibility. This replaces the EFC that was used in previous years.

Cost of Attendance (COA): COA includes tuition and fees, food and housing, books and supplies (including course materials and equipment), miscellaneous expenses, and transportation. 

Contributor: A parent, step-parent, student, or spouse of the student who is providing information to the FAFSA. 

Consent: Required from all contributors in order for the IRS to share tax data directly to the FAFSA. If any contributor does not provide consent, the student will automatically be ineligible for aid.

Direct Data Exchange (DDX): Previously known as IRS Data Retrieval; this tool imports tax data directly from the IRS to your FAFSA.

FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS): A summary of your completed FAFSA information. This replaces the Student Aid Report (SAR) that was used in previous years.

(Source: Michigan Student Aid)

There is a Federal Student Aid Youtube Channel with lots of great resources and the latest information. Check out their video explaining the 2024/2025 FAFSA changes below.

 

FAQ

What information will I need to complete the FAFSA?

Students and any other contributors require a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. 

GET AN FSA ID

The parent who provides the most financial support to the student should be the contributor.  If that parent is remarried, their spouse will also need to be included in the parent information section.

Most likely not.  The Department of Education will not be sending FAFSA information to institutions until mid-March, so we will not be able to confirm receipt of FAFSA, make corrections, or start awarding financial aid until after they are delivered.

Any student who requires a contributor’s information and does not consent and agree to share that information will have an incomplete and rejected FAFSA form.  The student will not be considered for any federal-based financial aid.  This applies to Michigan residents for state aid as well.

Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA cycle (late December), which will require individuals – regardless of their citizenship status – to have an StudentAid.gov account to access and sign the FAFSA form. This announcement describes the process for individuals without a social security number (SSN) to successfully create their StudentAid.gov account.
 
For several years, the Department of Education (Department) has partnered with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify individuals' identity used in the StudentAid.gov account creation process. This partnership with SSA is the primary method by which the Department verifies an individual's identity and creates a StudentAid.gov account. If SSA is unable to verify the identity of an individual (e.g., SSN does not match), the Department has created a secondary identity verification process, which requires individuals to answer knowledge-based questions through a partnership with TransUnion®.
 
Individuals who do not possess an SSN (who fail the SSA match), as well as individuals who fail the TransUnion® verification processes will be required to complete the StudentAid.gov account creation process specifically developed for those without an SSN.
 
StudentAid.gov Account Creation Instructions (step-by-step) for Individuals Without a Social Security Number (SSN)
 
This process outlines the steps needed in order for an individual without an SSN to have their identity verified and StudentAid.gov account created.
 
Step 1: An individual should visit StudentAid.gov, select “Create Account” and complete all steps, including answering 1-4 knowledge-based verification questions via TransUnion®.
 
Step 2: Upon completing the Create Account process, the individual will see a confirmation page with the results of their identity verification. If they fail the TransUnion® process, FSA will automatically assign a case number to the individual.
 
Step 3: Once the case number is created, FSA will send them a verification email in their preferred language (English or Spanish), which will include their case number, along with guidance on how to submit copies of unexpired acceptable documentation (listed below) to verify their identity. Individuals will also be required to submit an attestation and validation of identity form along with their approved identity documentation. This form will be available on https://studentaid.gov/forms-library.
 
Acceptable Documents to Establish an Individual’s Identity:
 
Provide one (1) of the following documents to establish identity:
  • U.S. Driver’s License
  • U.S. State/City Identification Card
  • Foreign Passport
OR
Provide one (1) set of documents below to establish identity:
  • Municipal Identification Cards + utility bill
  • Community ID + utility bill
  • Consular Identification Cards/Matricula Consular + utility bill
Step 4: Upon receipt of the email that FSA was unable to verify their identity, an individual is then required to submit one or a combination of their acceptable documentation from the list above and a signed attestation form to: IDVerification@ed.gov.
 
Step 5: FSA will review an individual’s submitted documentation and signed attestation form to ensure it is acceptable and matches the account information provided during the Create Account process. If there is a successful match, the Department will finalize the account creation. The individual will receive an email indicating their identity has been verified and that they may now use their account username and password (FSA ID) to log in at StudentAid.gov and complete applications for student financial assistance programs.