FAFSA Simplification

Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships

 

Here are directions to making the 5 most common corrections needed on the FAFSA.

Still having issues? Please check the FAFSA Issue Alerts Page.

Better FAFSA, Better Future

2024-25 FAFSA is now open

FAFSA Updates

April 15, 2024: Students are now able to make corrections to their 2024-25 FAFSA by logging into their StudentAid.gov account. Follow the directions provided by Federal Student Aid. 

March 25, 2024: The Department of Education says that the ability for students to make updates and corrections to their FAFSA forms will be available in the first half of April. In advance of that implementation, the Department will provide detailed information to partners, students, and families on how to correct the most common FAFSA form errors.

March 13, 2024:  The Department of Education has started the process of sending FAFSA data in small batches to states and schools. It will take several weeks for schools to receive, review, and process them. Students will receive an email from Federal Student Aid notifying them that their FAFSA has been sent to the schools listed on their application and to their state of residence. Students can review their application status on StudentAid.gov.

January 31, 2024: FAFSA delivery and processing should begin mid-March. Once FAFSA forms are fully processed, students should receive an email from the Department confirming their information has been sent to the schools they listed. Students should then be able to make corrections to their FAFSA by logging into their accounts at StudentAid.gov. 

For more information, please watch the Federal Student Aid YouTube Playlist.

  • 2024-25 FAFSA

     

    • The 2024-25 FAFSA is now open 24/7 except for during routine maintenance:
      • The U.S. Department of Education soft launched the 2024-2025 FAFSA on December 30, 2023.
      • The 2024-25 FAFSA determines financial aid eligibility for fall 2024, spring 2025, as well as summer 2025.
      • 2022 tax information should be used to file the 2024-25 FAFSA.

    • The FAFSA is more streamlined with fewer questions.
    • The FAFSA is available in 11 languages.
    • Students can list up to 20 schools on the online application. 
  • FAFSA Corrections



    Students may make corrections to their 2024-25 FAFSA.

    Common corrections include:

    • Missing a contributor’s signature
    • If you made a mistake
    • Missing a contributor’s consent and approval
    • Incorrect Social Security Number (SSN)
    • Changes to federal school codes: Adding or deleting a school
    • Change answer to “Direct Unsubsidized Loan Only” question
    • Adding a missing signature 

    For step-by-step instructions, students may review the Federal Student Aid website. 

  • Terminology & Processing Changes

    Contributors 


    The term contributor refers to anyone required to provide information on the student’s FAFSA. It does not mean the individual will necessarily contribute to the student’s educational expenses. A student’s biological parents(s), stepparent, adopted parent(s) or student’s spouse could be considered a contributor. Learn more about identifying a contributor on StudentAid.gov. 


    Consent 


    Transferring federal tax information using the Direct Data Exchange (DDX) is now required. All contributors will need to have a StudentAid.gov account with their own username and password. Contributors will receive an email requesting consent to transfer tax information to the FAFSA. 

    Direct Data Exchange (DDX)

    The DDX replaces the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT). The FUTURE Act amended the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to mandate the disclosure of Federal Tax Information (FTI) directly from the IRS to the Department with an individual’s approval and consent.

    Family Size 

    This term refers to capturing the appropriate number of family members and dependents in the applicant’s household. It was formerly called household size.  

    FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) 


    The FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) replaces the Student Aid Report (SAR) as the student’s output document providing a summary of data input on the FAFSA form. 


    Food and Housing 


    When calculating a student’s cost of attendance, this is one of the factors that contributes to the overall total. It was previously referred to as room and board. 

    Pell Grant 


    There are three types of Pell Grant awards for which students may be eligible – minimum, maximum, or a calculated amount. Determining factors now include dependency status, family size, parent’s marital status, income (Adjusted Gross Income), a multiplier of the federal poverty level, and enrollment status. Students enrolled in at least one credit hour will be considered for a Pell Grant.  


    Professional Judgement 


    Financial aid administrators may make case-by-case decisions to adjust a student’s SAI due to unique circumstances, which may be subject to an appeal process. Please see ‘unique circumstances’ below for more information. To view ETSU’s appeal process, please review the Appeals page for more details.  

    StudentAid.gov Account Username and Password (FSA ID) 


    All contributors and the student must obtain a StudentAid.gov account username and password before filing the FAFSA. This is sometimes referred to as a student’s or contributor’s FSA ID. 


    Student Aid Index (SAI) 


    The method used to calculate a student’s financial need is now called the Student Aid Index (SAI). Previously the methodology was called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The SAI will not change based on a student’s enrollment status. There is now a requirement for owners of small farms and businesses to report those assets. Another difference is that the EFC calculations stopped at zero, but with the SAI a student’s minimum contribution could be as low as -$1,500. 


    Unique Circumstances 

    There are two types of unique circumstances that financial aid administrators may take into consideration when exercising professional judgement of a student’s financial aid award:

    • Unusual Circumstance: An unusual circumstance prevents a student from providing tax information from contributors on the FAFSA. Students will still be required to provide the necessary documentation to their institution’s financial aid administrators before moving forward with the FAFSA process.
       



    • Special Circumstance: A special circumstance refers to any major financial changes that have occurred between the  time contributors filed taxes and the FAFSA submission. 
  • FAFSA Filing Tips
    • File as early as possible to avoid processing delays.
    • Keep prior-prior year tax information handy while filling out the FAFSA.
    • Reach out for support. Current ETSU students may reach out to their assigned financial aid counselor. Current and future college students may contact the TRiO Educational Opportunity Center for assistance with filing their FAFSA. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I fill out the 2024-25 FAFSA now? 
    Yes, the 2024-25 FAFSA is now open 24/7 except for during routine maintenance.
  • Why did the FAFSA change?
    Changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process are a result of several pieces of federal legislation passed between 2020 and 2022. The FUTURE Act, FAFSA Simplification Act, and the FAFSA Simplification Technical Corrections Act work together to implement changes that improve the user experience and effectiveness of the process for applying for federal financial aid. The Department of Education anticipates financial aid eligibility and access to be expanded by implementing these changes. More information about the changes and their implementation can be found online at StudentAid.gov.
  • Will the 2024-25 FAFSA delay change deadlines for other types of scholarships or financial aid? 
    Students and families will have ample time to complete the 2024-25 FAFSA. The 2024-25 FAFSA application will close permanently on June 30, 2025. 
  • How long will my FAFSA application be saved in the StudentAid.gov portal?  
    An incomplete FAFSA, such as a form missing contributor information, will be deleted after 45 days of inactivity. An incomplete FAFSA is one that is started, not submitted, and abandoned. A FAFSA cannot be considered submitted until all required contributors have completed, signed, and submitted their respective sections. Once a FAFSA has been deleted, all contributors, including the student, will be required to start over with a new application. 
  • How will the new Student Aid Index (SAI) change TN Educational Lottery Scholarship (HOPE) eligibility? 
    A student planning to attend college in fall 2024 must submit a completed FAFSA by September 1, 2024 to remain eligible for TN Educational Lottery Scholarship (HOPE). 
  • What do I do if I experience issues while completing the 2024-25 FAFSA? 
    The Department of Education will be the best resource for troubleshooting issues with the 2024-25 FAFSA. StudentAid.gov has a new virtual assistant tool called “Ask Aidan”. Students and families may also try calling 1-800-4-FED-AID or emailing customerservice@studentaid.gov. 
  • Where can I go to learn more about the 2024-25 FAFSA? 
    Students and families should keep checking StudentAid.gov for updates.  
  • What is a StudentAid.gov account and username (FSA ID) used for? 
    An FSA ID is required for the following processes:
    • Submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
    • Signing a Master Promissory Note (MPN)
    • Applying for repayment plans
    • Completing loan counseling
    • Applying for Parent Plus Loans
    • Access to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Tool 
  • How and when do I create a StudentAid.gov account and username (FSA ID)? 

    It is best practice to secure a StudentAid.gov username and password at least one week before filling out the FAFSA form. This will ensure there’s time for the account verification process to occur. All contributors will go to StudentAid.gov and click on ‘Create Account’ in the upper right-hand corner. To create an account, each contributor will need to provide the following:

    • Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
    • Full name
    • Date of birth
    • Email address (cannot match any other contributor)
    • Phone number (cannot match any other contributor)
  • How do I know who should be considered a contributor on my FAFSA? 

    Contributors are students, a student’s spouse, biological or adopted parents, a parent’s spouse (stepparent). Grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles are not contributors. Learn more on the Federal Student Aid website.

  • How do I determine which contributor to list on the FAFSA? 

    The 2024-25 FAFSA will guide students through a list of questions to help determine who should be considered a contributor. If a student’s parents are identified as contributors and they are divorced, the parent who has provided more than 50 percent of financial support in the last year should be listed on the FAFSA. Additionally, if that parent has remarried and then files taxes separately from their spouse, then both individuals would need to be listed as contributors.  

  • What if a contributor does not want to provide any information or consent? 

    If a contributor refuses to provide their information, the student will become ineligible for federal financial aid. It is important for all contributors to talk about and understand why this step is required. 

  • Why do I have to provide consent? 

    Without consent, the Department of Education will not be able to request federal tax information from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) for use in the federal financial aid process. 

  • If a contributor did not file taxes, do they still need to provide consent? 

    Yes. The IRS will still need to confirm with the Department of Education whether a contributor filed their taxes or not. 

  • What types of assets are now required to be reported on the FAFSA? 

    Some assets that were previously excluded from being reported are now required.

    This includes:

    • Amount of child support received annually
    • Net worth of any size businesses
    • Net worth of a family farm excluding a primary residence
    • Educational savings accounts designated to a student 
  • Is the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation the same as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)?  

    The SAI is still a methodology used to determine a student’s financial need based on the information provided by contributors on the FAFSA. The main difference between the SAI and EFC is that the SAI does not consider the number of family members in college. Maximum Pell Grant amounts will be awarded to students with a 0 or negative SAI.  

  • What is the difference between an unusual circumstance and a special circumstance? 

    A special circumstance is related to significant financial changes. An unusual circumstance is when a student is unable to contact a contributor and/or the contributor poses a risk to their safety.  

  • What criteria must I meet to be considered an independent student?

    Students must meet one of the following criteria and provide documentation to prove they are: (For more information about dependency status, visit StudentAid.gov.)

    • Married (not separated)
    • A graduate student
    • A veteran
    • A member of the armed forces
    • An orphan
    • A ward of the court
    • Someone with legal dependents other than a spouse
    • An emancipated minor
    • Someone who is unaccompanied, self-supporting, homeless, or at risk of homelessness 
  • If a contributor does not have a Social Security Number (SSN), can they create a StudentAid.gov Account and Username (FSA ID)? 

    Yes. If a contributor does not have an SSN, they will select the box that indicates this when setting up the account and username. Contributors will be required to have a verifiable e-mail and home address. Contributors will be asked to answer some identifying questions and may be asked to contact Federal Student Aid to complete additional steps to verify their identity. Note: The IRS does not report contributors without an SSN.