FAFSA Simplification Act
In 2020 Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act to streamline and make the financial aid process easier overall for students and families. The number of questions on the FAFSA is being nearly cut in half, terminology is being simplified. With these changes Congress is aiming to increase the Federal Pell Grant eligibility for many, however some may see a reduction in their Federal Pell Grant. Below you will find some detailed information regarding the FAFSA changes.
Important information
When will the 2024-2025 FAFSA be available?
The 2024-2025 FAFSA is now open.
Rider University’s priority deadline for the 2024-2025 academic year will be March 1st*
*The priority filing deadline is subject to change.
What is changing for the 2024-2025 FAFSA?
- Onboarding process - Once you are signed into your FSA ID and begin the 2024-2025 FAFSA there is a video that will give you an overview of the new FAFSA
- Number of questions - The number of questions is going from 108 to a maximum for most students to 46.
- Change in terminology - No longer using the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), but a Student Aid Index (SAI). See more about SAI in the FAQ below.
- Every student will also need to add their contributors to the FAFSA (as a dependent this will be your parents and as an independent student it may be a spouse). See more about contributors in the FAQ below.
- The SAI will no longer consider the number of students in college to determine eligibility, however eligibility will be based on family size and the federal poverty level.
- Parent on the FAFSA - If your parents are divorced or separated, the parent on the FAFSA may change. See more about who to report as a parent in the FAQ below.
- Parent does not have a social security number - If your parent does not have a Social Security number they will now be able to create an FSA ID. This will speed up the process and no longer require a paper copy of the FAFSA to be printed, signed and mailed to the Department of Education.
I need to make changes to my FAFSA, but I can’t.
Changes cannot be made to your FAFSA until the application is processed and released to the school and your FAFSA status no longer indicates pending. Colleges and universities are now anticipating that FAFSA data should be released to schools in mid-March.
Information on how to correct or update your FAFSA form can be found here.
Questions?
If you are a returning or an incoming student and have any further questions after reading through this information and completing the FAFSA onboarding process please feel free to contact the One Stop Office via email at [email protected], phone at 609-896-5360 or via zoom (Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2 - 4 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2 - 3 p.m.).
We will continue to provide updates regarding the FAFSA Simplification Act and appreciate your patience while we all work through this updated process together.