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Michigan State University
Michigan State University

Office of Financial Aid

A Simpler 2024-25 FAFSA

Congress introduced the FAFSA Simplification Act in 2021, and it goes into effect for the 2024-25 school year. This page is your source for information on the changes and what they may mean for your financial aid.

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FAFSA2024

2024-25 FAFSA Application Portal Is Now Open at FAFSA.gov

 

All students with a valid 24-25 FAFSA are now able to view their aid in the student financial aid portal (student.msu.edu). April 28, the Office of Financial Aid began loading FAFSA data into MSU’s system in the order it was received from the U.S. Department of Education. In a normal year, this process would have begun in December 2023.

Due to an unprecedented number of data issues beyond MSU’s control, we may receive changes from the U.S. Department of Education after an award package is generated that result in revisions to award amounts.

If you need to submit any documents to MSU to verify information on your 2024-25 FAFSA, you will receive notification in your financial aid portal (student.msu.edu) in the "Documents" tab. MSU will process your documents as soon as the U.S. Department of Education allows for 24-25 document submission by institutions, which is currently set for the end of June. We are very sorry for the stress this may cause some families who are anxiously awaiting their 24-25 aid packages.

The 2024-25 Professional Judgment (PJ) process will begin mid-June, when students will be able to request a PJ application in the student financial aid portal. The U.S. Department of Education has indicated that schools will not be able to make corrections to inital FAFSA data until that time.

For more information about situations that may warrant a PJ, visit the accordion tab “My financial situation has changed since I completed the FAFSA” on our FAQ page.

Fixing an error
Student corrections, including adding a missing signature, are now available for applicants and their contributors. Students who need to make corrections or who choose to make additions or changes to their FAFSA forms should return to StudentAid.gov to complete those updates. Instructions for making corrections to your FAFSA can be found here.

  • All students with a valid 24-25 FAFSA are now able to view their aid in the student financial aid portal (student.msu.edu).

  • Students are asked to check their portal regularly for any messages regarding their aid, or to view any updates to their package. Due to an unprecedented number of data issues beyond MSU’s control, we may receive changes from the U.S. Department of Education after an award package is generated that result in revisions to award amounts.

  • Students are now able to make corrections to an already-submitted 2024-25 FAFSA. This includes the “missing signature” issue experienced by a number of families. Instructions for making a correction are found here: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/review-and-correct/correct.

The graphic below illustrates the timeline for the arrival of 2024-25 aid packages. At this point, if you do not see a complete aid package, or you believe there is an issue with your package, please contact the MSU Office of Financial Aid.

Federal FAFSA Deadline

If you plan to attend college during the 2024-2025 academic year, you must file the FAFSA prior to ceasing attendance in the academic year or June 30, 2025, whichever is earlier. Federal aid includes the Pell Grant and Federal Direct Loans.

Michigan FAFSA Deadline

For 2024-25 only, students must submit the current year FAFSA by July 1 to receive State awards such as Michigan Tuition Grant and Michigan Competitive Scholarship. Any other year, the Michigan deadline is May 1.

MSU FAFSA Deadline

While many schools have a cutoff date for institutional aid, MSU does not. Keep in mind that many private scholarships use FAFSA information to determine eligibility, and these awards may have their own earlier deadlines. Awards may also be limited to a certain number of awardees, so completing the FAFSA early is always suggested.

The new FAFSA application is a simpler, quicker process! The FAFSA is now up 24/7. This page at studentaid.gov has information about how to make sure you are prepared to complete the new FAFSA before beginning the process. For up-to-date information about the new FAFSA from ED, visit studentaid.gov.

The FAFSA Simplification Act, passed by Congress in 2021, contains significant changes to how federal aid is processed. Key changes required by the law include:
  • A streamlined FAFSA application
  • A new method of determining aid called the Student Aid Index (SAI), which will replace Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
  • The number of family members in college as a factor for determining aid.
  • Requirements for determining dependency have changed. This studentaid.gov page will help students determine if they are considered independent or dependent, and whose information they must report when they fill out the 2024-25 FAFSA form.
  • Anyone required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form is now considered a "Contributor." This includes the student, but could also include the student’s spouse, parent or stepparent. Being a contributor does not imply responsibility for the student's college costs. Studentaid.gov has more information about determining your Contributors.

  • Every Contributor is required to have an FSA ID set up at studentaid.gov.

 

Students and parents who will be accessing the FAFSA can create an FSA ID now. This username and password is your key to accessing and signing the FAFSA. Since an FSA ID can take around three days to be verified and created, completing this process ahead of time means you will be all set when your are ready to complete the application.

The 2024-25 FAFSA has a new term: Contributor. Anyone required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form is considered a Contributor. This includes the student, but could also include the student’s spouse, parent or stepparent. Being a contributor does not imply responsibility for the student's college costs. Studentaid.gov has more information about determining your Contributors.

Every Contributor is required to have an FSA ID set up at studentaid.gov. It may take up to three days to process an FSA ID, so Contributors are encouraged to set this up now to avoid delays when you're ready to complete the FAFSA.

Cost of Attendance (COA): COA includes tuition and fees, food and housing, books and supplies (including course materials and equipment), miscellaneous personal expenses, and transportation. 

Contributor: A parent, step-parent, student, or spouse of the student who is providing information to the FAFSA. 

Consent: Required from all contributors in order for the IRS to share tax data directly to the FAFSA. If any contributor does not provide consent, the student will automatically be ineligible for aid.

Direct Data Exchange (DDX): Contributors who are asked to provide financial information are required to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX) to transfer their 2022 tax information (or non-filing status). The DDX makes entering information much quicker than hand entry and drastically reduces the possibilty for errors that could slow the processing of your FAFSA.

FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS): A summary of your completed FAFSA information. This replaces the Student Aid Report (SAR) that was used in previous years.

Student Aid Index (SAI): Calculated by FAFSA data and will determine student aid eligibility. This replaces the EFC that was used in previous years.