Simplifying the financial aid application process.
The FAFSA Simplification Act is an initiative by the United States Department of Education to make applying for federal student aid easier for students.
FAFSA Simplification at a Glance
In the 2024–25 aid year, the Department of Education launched the first major redesign of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process in over 40 years. It represents a significant overhaul of federal student aid, including changes to the FAFSA form, need analysis, storage of federal student aid application data, and many policies and procedures for schools that participate in the Title IV programs.
All students must complete either the FAFSA or CADAA to be considered for government student aid.
We will continue to update this webpage as we receive more information from the Department of Education. This webpage was last updated November 25, 2024.
2025–26 FAFSA Timeline Updates
August 7, 2024: The Department of Education announced that the 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form will be available to all students on or before December 1, 2024.
The Department will conduct a testing period of the form’s functionality beginning October 1 with a limited set of students and institutions. The phased rollout will allow the Department to resolve issues before making the form available to all students and contributors.
September 19, 2024: The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) announced plans to open the 2025–26 California Dream Act Application (CADAA) on December 1, in tandem with the FAFSA.
After You Submit a Financial Aid Application
You will receive an email with instructions for accessing your FAFSA Submission Summary (formerly the Student Aid Report) after your FAFSA form is submitted and processed.
You will receive an email notification from the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office when your financial aid offer is available for your review in CalCentral.
Please note: until UC Berkeley receives and processes your form, we won’t be able to answer questions about your 2025–26 aid eligibility or status.
Students and families will see a different measure of their ability to pay for college and experience a change in the methodology used to determine aid. The benefits of the updates to the FAFSA include:
A more streamlined application process
Expanded eligibility for federal student aid
Expanded eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant
Reduced barriers for certain student populations
A better user experience for the FAFSA form
Enhanced data sharing with IRS to simplify the applicant’s experience
FAFSA Simplification Rollout
In 2020, the FAFSA Simplification Act was enacted into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Full implementation of major provisions occurred during the 2024–2025 award year (starting Fall 2024).
2024–25 FAFSA Timeline Milestones
In November 2023, the Department of Education announced that the 2024–2025 FAFSA would open by December 31, 2023.
In December 2023, the Department of Education announced a soft launch for the new FAFSA from December 2023 through late January 2024.
On January 2, 2024, the California Student Aid Commission announced the release of the 2024–25 California Dream Act Application (CADAA).
In March 2024, UC Berkeley and other schools started to receive some FAFSA applicant information from the Department of Education.
At the beginning of April 2024, technical fixes by the Department of Education resolved multiple challenges for mixed status families. An update at the beginning of April resolved another critical issue: if you have a contributor without a Social Security Number (SSN), refer to these steps to submit a FAFSA (in English) or steps in Spanish. Note that the steps you follow are dependent on whether you’ve already started a form for 2024–25. The steps are quite detailed, so please read the instructions carefully.
In early April 2024, the Department of Education opened the process to make corrections to FAFSAs. See the How to Correct or Update Your FAFSA Form on studentaid.gov for more information.
In late April 2024, the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) extended the California state financial aid priority deadline from April 2 to May 2, 2024.
On April 30, 2024, the Department of Education announced that students and contributors without a SSN can file a 2024–25 FAFSA before they complete ID verification (for FSA IDs). These changes to the system helped resolve some issues previously preventing some families from completing their applications.
On July 30, 2024, the Department of Education shared an update that batch institutional corrections for the 2024–25 FAFSA (scheduled to be available mid-August), would be deferred until the 2025–26 FAFSA cycle. For students, this meant that the processing of Verification forms and Economic Hardship Appeals for 2024–25 took longer than in typical years. Anticipating delays, the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office team manually made corrections to mitigate delays, and will continue to do so throughout the year.
On August 19, 2024, the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office was able to provide students with their fall semester aid disbursement on schedule.
Changes to Calculating Your Aid Eligibility
Students and families will see a different measure of their ability to pay for college, and they will experience a change in the methodology used to determine aid. Some key changes include:
The new FAFSA process considers the cost of attendance (COA) along with the new Student Aid Index (SAI) and other financial assistance (OFA) when determining financial need.
The new need-analysis formula:
removes the number of family members in college from the calculation,
allows a minimum SAI of -1,500,
implements separate eligibility determination criteria for Federal Pell Grants based on federal poverty levels and family size.
Child support received will be included in assets and not as untaxed income.
Families who own a small business/farm that also serves as primary residence now have assets of that business/farm considered in their need-analysis calculation.
Resources for the New FAFSA
Visit 2024–25 FAFSA Form Launch for up-to-date information from Federal Student Aid. Find additional resources below.
Change Highlights for the Updated FAFSA
These topic-based, downloadable resources provide details about specific areas of change in the new FAFSA launched in 2024–25.
WEBINAR: New Year, New FAFSA: Unpacking the FAFSA Simplification Act
In January 2024, we hosted a webinar covering the U.S. Department of Education’s major updates to the 2024-25 FAFSA form. Join us to learn more about these changes.
FAFSA SIMPLIFICATION FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Find answers to frequently asked questions about the FAFSA Simplification and updates for the new FAFSA launched in 2024–25.
General FAFSA Simplification FAQS
What is FAFSA Simplification?
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FAFSA Simplification is the first major redesign of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process in over 40 years. It represents a significant overhaul of federal student aid, including changes to the FAFSA form, need analysis, storage of federal student aid application data, and many policies and procedures for schools that participate in Title IV federal aid programs. Students and families will see a different measure of their ability to pay for college and experience a change in the methodology used to determine aid.
The California Student Aid Commission changed the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) in 2024–25 to include some of the updates made to the FAFSA form. The CADAA typically mirrors the FAFSA, but due to FAFSA Simplification, the applications are somewhat different. Read details about the California Dream Act Application Changes.
What are the major changes to the FAFSA application form?
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Changes to FAFSA questions and need analysis:
The number of questions are reduced and the application maximizes the use of previously collected data.
There is an updated methodology to calculate and determine applicant eligibility with a new need-analysis formula.
The Student Aid Index (SAI) replaces the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The SAI is a number that determines each student’s eligibility for certain types of federal student aid.
The Cost of Attendance (COA) is now the starting point for calculating a student’s financial need. COA includes direct costs (charges for which the university bills you directly) and estimated indirect costs (living expenses) to fund educational expenses for a year.
Changes to data collection and support for completing the FAFSA form:
Anyone asked to provide information on the aid application—student, spouse, student's parent(s) and/or stepparents(s)—is called a “contributor” to the application.
Students, spouses, parents, and stepparents (any contributor) now need to provide their consent to share their Federal Tax Information (FTI) in order to be eligible for federal student aid.
A Direct Data Exchange (DDX) with the IRS will replace what is currently known as the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT).
To provide consent, complete the Consent to Retrieve and Disclose Federal Tax Information section of the FAFSA.
If any contributor to the FAFSA form does not provide consent, submission of the form will still be allowed; however, a Student Aid Index (SAI) will not be calculated so the student will not be eligible to receive Title IV federal student aid.
The Custodial Parent on a FAFSA will be the parent(s) who provided the student with more financial support, instead of the parent(s) with whom they lived more during the past 12 months.
Foster, homeless, and unaccompanied youth—as well as applicants who cannot provide parental information—are now able to complete the form with a provisional independent student determination and receive a provisional calculated SAI.
Resources for completing the FAFSA form will be expanded to the 11 most common languages spoken in the United States.
Changes to FAFSA processing and submission:
There is two-step verification, and all FAFSA contributors must have an FSA ID to log into the online form at StudentAid.gov. There is a new process to get an FSA ID (StudentAid.gov account) for parents and spouses without a Social Security number.
Applicants will be asked to report their sex, race, and ethnicity on the FAFSA itself, but students will be offered a choice of “Prefer Not to Answer.” Schools and state agencies won’t see responses to these questions on the FAFSA.
Students are able to list up to 20 schools on their FAFSA via the online application (previously capped at 10 schools).
What are the major changes to financial need-analysis calculation with the new FAFSA?
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The new need-analysis formula:
Removes the number of family members in college from the calculation,
Allows a minimum SAI of -1,500,
Implements separate eligibility determination criteria for Federal Pell Grants based on federal poverty levels and family size.
The new formula also includes changes to asset reporting:
Child support received will be included in assets and not as untaxed income.
Families who own a small business/farm that also serves as primary residence will now have assets of that business/farm considered in their need-analysis calculation.
Financial need will be calculated and determined with a new need-analysis formula: COA – SAI – OFA = financial need.
The Cost of Attendance (COA) will be the starting point for calculating financial need. COA includes direct costs (charges for which the university bills you directly) and estimated indirect costs (living expenses) to fund educational expenses for an academic year. UC Berkeley already provides transparency regarding cost of attendance and will continue to provide clear information.
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is a formal evaluation of a student’s approximate financial resources to contribute toward their education for a specific award year and will replace the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
Other Financial Assistance (OFA) is all financial aid awarded to the applicant, including outside scholarships and loans, as well as aid awarded by the university.
The formula uses information that applicants provide on the FAFSA form and, in most cases, federal tax information (FTI) that is retrieved directly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
How is the SAI (Student Aid Index) different from the EFC?
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The Student Aid Index (SAI) determines each student’s eligibility for certain types of federal student aid and has replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The SAI is an index number that a financial aid office uses to determine how much federal, state, and institutional aid a student would receive if they were to attend that school. A student receives one SAI number after completing their FAFSA, but financial need is specific to each university’s Cost of Attendance and will vary by institution.
Changes from EFC to the SAI include:
EFC could never go below 0, SAI can be as low as -1,500.
SAI formula removes the state and other tax income exclusion.
SAI formula eliminates the family farm and small business asset exclusions: families have to report these as assets.
Income protection allowances are updated to higher amounts for the SAI.
SAI will not take into consideration the number of family members in college.
SAI determines eligibility for all aid except for minimum and maximum Pell Grants. Pell Grant are based on Dependency Status, Marital Status, Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), Poverty Level, and Enrollment Status.
How does the new FAFSA expand eligibility for federal student aid?
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Eligibility for federal student aid is expanded in the following ways:
Elimination of selective service and drug conviction questions reduces applicant barriers.
New methodology will be introduced to calculate and determine applicant eligibility.
The new need-analysis formula allows for a negative SAI calculation and implements separate eligibility criteria for Federal Pell Grants.
Federal Pell Grant access will be expanded and linked to family size and federal poverty levels, which allows more students and families from low-income backgrounds to qualify.
Federal Pell Grant access will be restored to incarcerated students under specific rules and programs.
FAFSA Form Completion and Submission FAQs
Who is considered a “contributor” for the new FAFSA?
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Anyone asked to provide information on the aid application—student, student’s spouse, student’s parent(s) and/or stepparent(s)—is called a “contributor” to the application. Contributors are required to provide consent and approval for federal tax information (FTI) along with their signature on the FAFSA form.
The student applying for aid is always a contributor.
A student who is a dependent will have at least one parent as a contributor.
An independent student may not have contributors other than themselves.
For independent students who are married and filed taxes separately for the reporting tax year, their spouse is considered a contributor.
How do I determine which parent is a contributor for my FAFSA form?
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The new FAFSA form will include an interactive worksheet (“parent wizard”) that helps the applicant to determine which parent(s) they should be planning to include on their application. The Federal Student Aid resource Who is considered a parent? has additional information to help with this determination. Common situations include:
If the parents are married and their tax filing status was "married filing jointly” for the reporting year, then only one parent needs to create an FSA ID and provide consent on the FAFSA. Providing consent allows both parents' tax information from their tax return to be retrieved from the IRS.
If the parents are married and their tax filing status was "married filing separately” for the reporting year, then they will both need to create an FSA ID and will both need to provide consent on the FAFSA, since their tax information is provided on separate tax returns.
If the parents are separated or divorced, the Custodial Parent will need to create an FSA ID and provide consent on the FAFSA. If the Custodial Parent remarried, include the new spouse’s information when completing the FAFSA form.
Who is the “Custodial Parent” for the FAFSA?
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For dependent students, the Custodial Parent will be the parent who provided the most financial support, instead of the parent with whom the student lived more during the past 12 months. If both parents provided an exact equal amount of financial support, then this will typically be the parent with greater income or assets. The Custodial Parent will need to create an FSA ID to provide their information for the student’s FAFSA.
What is “Family Size” on the FAFSA? What if I need to update my Family Size?
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Family Size replaces the term “household size” on the FAFSA form. It captures the appropriate number of family members and dependents in the applicant’s household. For tax-filers, Family Size will be automatically calculated based on the number of individuals claimed as exemptions on the tax return. If the Family Size is different from what is reported on the tax return, there will be an option to enter it manually.
If the student applicant is a dependent, family size must include the parent (and spouse or partner), the student, the parent’s dependent children (even if they live apart because of college enrollment), and there are people living with the parent now if the parent will provide more than half of their support between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 (for the 2025–26 aid year).
If the student applicant is independent, family size must include the student (and spouse), the student’s dependent children and other people only if the student will provide more than half of their support between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 (for the 2025–26 aid year).
What is the FSA ID?
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An FSA ID is the Account Username and Password needed to file a FAFSA form and used to log in to all Federal Student Aid products and tools on StudentAid.gov. There will be two-step verification for the FAFSA and all contributors must have an FSA ID to log in to the online form.
How do I register for an FSA ID?
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Students and other contributors register for an FSA ID by creating a StudentAid.gov account through the Federal Student Aid website. Most continuing students will have created an FSA ID to file their FAFSA in previous years and will not need to register for another one.
Who needs an FSA ID?
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Every contributor to an applicant’s FAFSA form will need an FSA ID in order to access the online FAFSA on StudentAid.gov. This is the easiest way for students and their contributors to sign the form and provide consent for data share with the IRS. Signature and consent can also be provided with a printed FAFSA form, but the process is significantly slower, and it is more difficult to correct mistakes after submission. Federal Student Aid (FSA) recommends all parents create an FSA ID.
I’m a married student, does my spouse need an FSA ID?
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It depends on your tax filing status for the reporting tax year. If you filed a joint tax return (married filing jointly) in 2023 for the 2025–2026 FAFSA, your spouse doesn't need an FSA ID. However, if you didn't file the tax return jointly with your spouse, your spouse will need an FSA ID to provide consent and sign the FAFSA form.
A contributor to my form doesn’t have an SSN (Social Security Number), can I still file my FAFSA?
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Yes, Federal Student Aid (FSA) has developed a new process that will be available for people without Social Security Numbers to create a StudentAid.gov account and access the online FAFSA. A contributor needs to create their FSA ID and input their current address into their account. When the student completing their FAFSA is asked to invite contributors to their form, they will need to input the same address as their contributor’s StudentAid.gov account.
A contributor to my form doesn’t have an SSN (Social Security Number), can they create an FSA ID?
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The 2024–25 FAFSA created a process designed to make it easier to complete the application when there is a family member contributor without a Social Security Number (SSN). The new process allows contributors without an SSN to create an FSA ID and complete the 2024–25 FAFSA through their StudentAid.gov account. A contributor needs to create their FSA ID and input their current address into their account. When the student completing their FAFSA is asked to invite contributors to their form, they will need to input the same address as their contributor’s StudentAid.gov account. For details, reference Mixed Family Status (PDF).
Will other contributors be able to view my tax information on the FAFSA form?
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The applicant and other contributors will each have their own section of the FAFSA form to complete. According to the Department of Education, much of the applicant’s tax return information, including information from their spouse and parents, will come directly from the IRS and will not be viewable by the student and other contributors.
What does “provisional independent” status mean?
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The provisional independent status will allow the student to receive a provisional Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation while their independent status is being verified. Dependency is determined based on how a student answers the dependency questions on their aid application. In the past, if a student was not considered Independent, they could indicate they had unusual circumstances that prevent them from providing parental information; but the aid application would be rejected until a financial aid administrator verified the independent student status. Under FAFSA Simplification, dependent students with unusual circumstances—as well as foster, homeless, and unaccompanied youth—will be assigned a “provisional independent” status and receive an SAI while awaiting verification. The SAI will remain provisional and not official until the student’s college or career school makes a final determination.
What is the FAFSA Submission Summary?
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The FAFSA Submission Summary replaces the Student Aid Report (SAR) as the student’s output document providing a summary of data input on the FAFSA form. After submitting the FAFSA form, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary. It is important to review the summary for accuracy and if necessary, make corrections or updates to the submitted FAFSA data.
What date is the FAFSA considered received by the FAFSA processing system?
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Your FAFSA form is considered complete and submitted on the date that all contributors (student, spouse, parent as applicable) complete and submit their sections; not on the day the student starts the FAFSA. For students with other contributors (parent or spouse) your form is not considered complete until the other contributors have completed their section, even if you have completed your own section.
Why is the date my FAFSA (or CADAA) form was received important?
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The FAFSA form completion date is important for schools that use a priority deadline to award/offer institutional funds. UC will consider California students for all financial aid for which they are eligible based on UC Berkeley’s priority deadline.
How do I review my FAFSA?
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Your FAFSA responses are included in your Submission Summary. When your summary is available, the Department of Education will send you an email with instructions on how to access it online.
What should I be looking for when I review my FAFSA?
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New and continuing students can find their application status in CalCentral along with directions for any additional tasks that need to be completed. Common errors that need to be corrected on FAFSAs include:
Missing student or parent signatures
Needing to provide consent to share tax information
Choosing to be considered for unsubsidized loans only (most students will choose subsidized loans)
Inaccurate manual entry of financial information (check your tax information)
Inaccurately filed as provisionally independent
How do I make corrections to my FAFSA?
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The ability to make corrections to a “Processed” 2024–25 FAFSA is now widely available. The Department of Education has provided detailed information on how you can correct the most common FAFSA form errors. Visit the How to Correct or Update Your FAFSA Form page on studentaid.gov for more information. Common corrections include:
If your FAFSA form is missing a contributor's consent and approval
If you filed a FAFSA using an incorrect Social Security Number (SSN)
If you want to add or delete a school (Changes to Federal School Codes)
Change answer to "Direct Unsubsidized Loan Only" question
Add a missing signature
What happens if I submit my FAFSA before all my contributors have completed identity verification?
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Students and contributors without an SSN can complete the 2024–25 FAFSA before completing ID verification.
All contributors can now access and complete the FAFSA without waiting to complete identity verification.
Direct Data Exchange with the IRS will replace what is currently known as the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT). This allows the IRS to share Federal Tax Information (FTI) with the Department of Education and the colleges listed on the FAFSA.
What does it mean that contributors to the FAFSA will need to provide their consent?
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Students, spouses, parents, and/or stepparents who are contributors will now need to provide their consent to share their Federal Tax Information (FTI) in the new Consent to Retrieve and Disclose Federal Tax Information section of the FAFSA to be eligible for federal student aid. Once given, consent lasts for that application year; consent will need to be given by all contributors every year the applicant submits a FAFSA.
What happens if a contributor does not consent to the Direct Data Exchange with the IRS?
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It is vital that all contributors provide consent for Direct Data Exchange. If any contributor to the FAFSA form does not provide consent, submission of the form will still be allowed. However, a Student Aid Index (SAI) will not be calculated, so the student will not be eligible to receive Title IV federal student aid. If a parent contributor refuses to provide consent, the student is given the opportunity to be eligible for some aid by updating their form to only apply for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan.
How do contributors provide consent for data sharing with the IRS?
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Each contributor will be asked to provide consent in a section of the FAFSA application form that provides details about what information is shared. When completing the FAFSA, students will be able to invite contributors to complete their section of the form by providing an email address and basic information for the contributor. That contributor (parent or spouse) will need to log in to the form with their FSA ID and from there will be able to consent to the data exchange. Alternatively, parents may start a FAFSA form on behalf of their student and invite the student to complete their section.
If a contributor filed taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of an SSN for the reporting year, they will need to enter their ITIN on the FAFSA in order to consent to Direct Data Exchange.
Is consent needed every year for the FAFSA?
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Yes, contributors will need to consent to Direct Data Exchange with the IRS for the FAFSA every year as part of completing the form. Once data is exchanged with the IRS, consent will not be able to be revoked.
I didn’t complete taxes for the reporting year, do I have to provide consent?
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Yes. Even if a tax return has not been completed, the applicant and all other contributors must provide consent in order for the student to be considered eligible for federal financial aid. Note that if tax filing was required for a contributor, but taxes were not filed and no filing extension has been obtained, the applicant may not be eligible for Title IV federal student aid.
I declined to provide my consent but have changed my mind. Will I be able to update my FAFSA?
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Yes. Throughout the FAFSA form, there are several opportunities to update your consent approval. You can log in to StudentAid.Gov and update your consent on your dashboard.
What if my tax information is not available through the IRS?
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International students and applicants with unique circumstances (like families navigating identity fraud) will still need to provide consent for Direct Data Exchange with the IRS. For instances where income and tax information cannot be obtained directly from the IRS, the applicant will be able to manually enter the necessary information into the FAFSA. That manual entry may be subject to verification.
I filed a foreign tax return, do I need to provide this information on my student's FAFSA?
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Yes. Foreign tax filers can enter tax information manually on their student's FAFSA. As a contributor, you will still need to provide consent for Direct Data Exchange.
My parent(s) refuse to provide their information on my FAFSA. What should I do?
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If you are determined to be a Dependent Student, based on the information you've added to your FAFSA, and your parent refuses to provide their information, then you can indicate that you would like to be considered for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The Direct Unsubsidized Loan is the only federal financial aid that you can be considered for without your parent's information.
Aid, Grant, and Scholarship Changes FAQs
How will the Pell Grant be calculated for the updated FAFSA?
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Criteria for Federal Pell Grants is based on the federal poverty line and family size. Pell Grant amount will be based on Dependency, Marital Status, Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), Poverty Level, and Enrollment Status.
Will I still be able to receive a “sibling discount”?
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With the new need-analysis calculation, there will be a loss of the “sibling discount”, or the benefit families receive when they have more than one person attending college at the same time. The university is still determining the extent of these changes and the impact it will have on financial aid packages for our continuing students. More information will be provided when available.