The release of the 2024-25 Free Application for Financial Aid will be delayed this year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. 

In an email statement to The Badger Herald, Office of Student Financial Aid communications manager Karla Weber Wandel said the delay is only for the 2024-25 year and that the FAFSA will resume to an Oct. 1 release date in future years.

“FAFSA is getting a makeover, and it’s with the hopes of making it even easier for students and families to submit that application,” Weber Wandel said. “It’s only this year we’re expecting it to be delayed until December.” she said. 

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The makeover Weber Wandel refers to is the FAFSA Simplification Act, which will change the process and system used to award students financial aid, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Significant changes include a replacement of the Expected Family Contribution with a Student Aid Index, according to the Office of Student Financial Aid. This will change the measure for students’ ability to pay for college by removing the number of family members in college from the calculation. The change will also establish a minimum Student Aid Index of -1500, compared to the previous minimum Expected Family Contribution of $0. The new negative SAI will help the lowest-income students qualify for more aid, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Weber Wandel said the act will also help streamline the FAFSA completion process for students. 

“There will be fewer questions on the FAFSA for students to answer and fewer requirements as part of the application overall,” Weber Wandel said. “With some of the eligibility changes, the Department of Education is telling us that they’re estimating that we should see an increase in the number of students that are eligible to receive the Federal Pell Grant.”

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Weber Wandel also said the delayed form will not impact most students, but depending on their financial situations, some students may notice changes. Though the official release date has yet to be announced, students can stay informed by following the Office of Student Financial Aid Instagram.

“We are waiving our priority date for the 2024-25 FAFSA and just telling students as soon as we find out it’s available and they can go in and do it, to just get it done as soon as possible,” Weber Wandel said.