FAFSA Changes
Federal Student Aid is making changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and this has resulted in a delay in the release of the form for the 2025-2026 academic year. Here is a summary of the changes and scheduling impacts for current college students and high school seniors for the Class of 2025.
Delayed FAFSA Opening
The new FAFSA application, which typically opens on October 1 each year, is being delayed by Federal Student Aid until December 1st.
Scheduling Appointments to Complete the FAFSA
The delay means you CANNOT file or renew your FAFSA form until the new form is released. ICAN is NOT scheduling FAFSA appointments at this time. ICAN will open scheduling for renewal appointments in November for appointments beginning in December 2024.
StudentAid.gov Setup
A big change in the process is that you CANNOT setup your StudentAid.gov account at the same time you file the FAFSA. It is now required that your username and password be verified before you can use it to file the FAFSA. It can take up to five days to verify the StudentAid.gov account. You must setup the account for each student filing the form and a parent. Do this at least five days prior to the date you want to file your FAFSA. To learn more about the StudentAid.gov account process click here.
Biggest Changes to the Process
- Starting date will be sometime December 1st compared to Oct. 1st
- Studentaid.gov account must be created and verified BEFORE you can fill out the FAFSA Form
- Multiple parents or a student's spouse may need an account
- Parents who are divorced/separated- parent that files the FAFSA is the parent that provides the most financial support to the student
- Number of colleges that can be listed are now 20 instead of 10
- No longer any exemptions for business/farm assets
- Student Aid Index (SAI) instead of Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
- Number in college will be asked but no longer in the SAI formula
- Student/Parent(s) Contributors will now complete their own sections
- Results from the FAFSA will now be called FAFSA Submission Summary instead of Student Aid Report (SAR)
If you are a current college student and have questions about how these changes might impact your upcoming renewal, you can email ICAN at ICAN@ICANsucceed.org.
