2024-2025 Federal Aid Updates

The FAFSA Simplification Act was signed into law in December 2020 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. This act represents a significant overhaul of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid starting with the 2024–25 award year. The changes are aimed at making it easier for students and families to apply for aid by providing a more streamlined application process.

The 2024-2025 FAFSA form is available now.

File your FAFSA form at StudentAid.gov.

What will happen after you submit your 2024-2025 FAFSA form?

The following provides a brief overview of what will happen in the time leading up to the preparation of your 2024-25 financial aid offer.

• After you complete and submit all sections of your 2024–25 FAFSA form, Federal Student Aid (FSA) will send you an email to confirm that your form was received. This email will include your submission date, estimated Student Aid Index (SAI), and estimated Federal Pell Grant eligibility. (If your application contains errors, the estimated SAI and Pell Grant eligibility will not be included in the confirmation email.)
• In mid-March, FSA started sending FAFSA data to the schools listed on the FAFSA form. To view any updates related to the status of your FAFSA form, check the “My Activity” section of your StudentAid.gov dashboard.​
• Once your FAFSA form is processed, you will be able to log into your StudentAid.gov account to view your FAFSA Submission Summary. The FAFSA Submission Summary summarizes the information you reported on your FAFSA form. It includes your estimated eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant and federal student loans, your Student Aid Index (SAI), and whether you have been selected for verification. If necessary, you may make corrections to your FAFSA data. If you did not provide a valid email address on your FAFSA form, you will receive a paper FAFSA Submission Summary via postal mail.
• Xavier will notify newly admitted students when aid offers are ready to be viewed on Road to Xavier. Financial aid packages for returning students will be be available in Self-Service beginning in May.

What is different about the 2024-2025 FAFSA?

Federal legislation passed in 2020, designed to simplify the FAFSA filing process, has brought many changes to the way federal student aid is calculated for the 2024-25 academic year and beyond. The new FAFSA form has reduced the maximum possible questions from 108 to 46, making it easier for families to use. Many things about the FAFSA form will remain the same, however, families who have filed the application before will notice some key differences.

Contributors

The term contributor is being used to describe anyone who is required to provide consent and approval for use of their federal tax information (FTI) along with their signature on the FAFSA form, including the student; the student’s spouse; a biological or adoptive parent; or the parent’s spouse (stepparent). The student’s answers to certain questions on the FAFSA form will determine which individuals will be required to provide information. Each contributor will receive an email informing them that they have been identified as such and will need to log in to access and complete their section of the FAFSA form using their own FSA ID to provide the required information. Being identified as a contributor on the FAFSA form does not make the student's family member responsible for paying education costs.

A contributor can secure an FSA ID at StudentAid.gov, if they do not already have one. An FSA ID will be required for each person who must enter information on the FAFSA form, including parents who do not have SSNs.

Tax and Income Information

Beginning with 2024-25, all FAFSA contributors will be required to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX) to share tax information or confirm non-filing status. The DDX gives ease to the process and reduces the number of questions to be answered. All persons identified as contributors must provide consent to the use of their federal tax information on the student's FAFSA. The student will not be eligible for any Title IV aid until the necessary approval is provided by each contributor.

SAI replaces EFC

Previously, the FAFSA data was used to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to indicate a family’s level of financial need. Beginning with 2024-25, the EFC will be replaced with the Student Aid Index (SAI) and will be used to determine the student's eligibility for need-based aid. Unlike the EFC, the SAI can be a negative number (down to -1500).

Number in College

The FAFSA previously considered the number of household dependents attending college when calculating the EFC. Beginning with the 2024-25 year, the FAFSA will continue to ask how many household dependents are enrolled in college, but the answer will not factor into the calculation of the Student Aid Index (SAI). This means that some current students with siblings in college could see a reduction to their eligibility for need-based aid.

Pell Grants

Federal Pell Grant access will be linked to family size and federal poverty levels, which will allow more students and families from low-income backgrounds to qualify. Families making less than 175% and single parents making less than 225% of the federal poverty level will see their students 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 SAI.

Cases of Divorce or Separation

For dependent students, financial information was previously required of the parent with whom the student had lived with the most during the 12 months prior to filing the FAFSA. Beginning with 2024-25, financial information will be required from the parent who provided the most financial support to the student during the prior 12 months (even if the student does not live with that parent) or the parent paying child support if that support equals more than 50% of the student’s overall support.
(Is My Parent a Contributor When I Fill Out My FAFSA Form?)

Larger Income Protection Allowances

The Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation will take into account a larger Income Protection Allowance (IPA), consequently lowering the amount of student or parent income considered to be available to pay for college.