The long-awaited simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to request financial help for the 2024-25 year is finally here.
The Department of Education officially launched the new FAFSA form this week, about three months later than its usual Oct. 1 date. The period leading up to and following Dec. 31 is serving as a soft launch, allowing the government to “monitor and respond in real time to any potential issues impacting the applicant experience,” according to the Federal Student Aid website.
The form will be available periodically during the soft launch, though users may encounter planned pauses as the Department of Education conducts site maintenance and makes technical updates.
“You will have plenty of time to complete the FAFSA form,” the website reads. “If you do submit your form during the soft launch, your information will be saved, and you won’t need to resubmit your form or any related information. If your form is unavailable when you or your family members try to access it, please try again later.”
For the 2024-25 school year, FAFSA will be reduced to just 36 questions from 108, including detailed financial information, and it will be easier to import income data from tax records. Along with the pared-down form, the Department of Education changed its formulas so, among other things, more students would be awarded Pell Grants, which don’t have to be repaid. It also will no longer include a sibling discount so families with more than one…
