Students gathering in front of the North Entrance of the Cascade Building

The New FAFSA and WASFA Are Here!

The FAFSA Simplification Act represents a significant overhaul of the application and processes used to calculate your award eligibility and to offer you financial aid. Students will see these changes starting with the 2024-2025 school year (Summer 2024 through Spring 2025). The process for the WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid) will include many of the same changes that will occur with the FAFSA.

The Department of Education has announced that releasing completed FAFSA Forms to colleges will be delayed. After you have successfully completed your application, you should receive an acknowledgment email from Federal Student Aid confirming the submission. Our office will not receive completed FAFSA Forms until March (current estimation). Additionally, students cannot make corrections to their submitted FAFSA until then. 

Stay up to date with information from Federal Student Aid. FAFSA processing and award offers for the 2024-2025 aid year are anticipated to begin in June.
 

Benefits of the New FAFSA

  • A more streamlined application process and fewer questions to answer
  • Expanded eligibility for Federal Student Aid including the Pell Grant
  • Reduced barriers for specific groups of students
  • Income information with the IRS automatically transfers into the FAFSA
    • Students who submit a WASFA will continue to enter their income information manually

What You Need to Know

  • The new 2024-2025 FAFSA and WASFA are now open!
  • The FSA ID is more important than ever. All students and their parent(s) must have an FSA ID to submit the FAFSA. There is a one to three business day waiting period when setting up a new FSA ID for it to be used to complete the FAFSA. Watch a step-by-step video of how to create an FSA ID.
  • The index used to determine need-based aid,  Expected Family Contribution “EFC”, will no longer be used. In its place, the Student Aid Index “SAI” is now used to assess a student’s eligibility. The SAI can be as low as -1500 for the neediest students.
  • Students and contributors will no longer need enter their tax information manually or use the IRS Data Retrieval. Applicants and contributors are required to consent to the IRS Data Exchange which will automatically import tax information into the FAFSA.
  • Dependent students may be required to report a different parent on the 2024-2025 FAFSA or WASFA compared to prior year applications. Students will begin to report the parent who provided the most financial support in the 12 months prior.
  • Pell Grant eligibility changes. Students from families who earned less than 175% and single parents who earned less than 225% of the federal poverty level will receive a maximum Federal Pell Grant award. Minimum Pell Grants will be guaranteed to students from households below 275%, 325%, 350%, or 400% of the poverty level depending on household structure. Pell awards between the maximum and minimum amounts will be determined by the Student Aid Index (SAI).

How Can You Prepare?

  • Get ready by making sure you have your FSA ID created.
  • See how the FAFSA Simplification changes impact what you may qualify for by using the Federal Student Aid Estimator to calculate your possible aid offer.
  • Watch what Federal Student Aid has to say about FAFSA Simplification (YouTube).