Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA)

Through the FAFSA, students are considered for federal education loans that feature low fixed interest rates, extended repayment periods and flexible payment options. In addition, New College students are considered for the federal Pell Grant, while full-time traditional undergraduate students are also considered for state and university grants. Eligibility for grants is based on family size, income, and assets, so not all students qualify.

2024-25 FAFSA Filing and Changes

The 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available: 

Apply Now

The Department of Education (ED) is aware of errors when families are trying to complete the application and has established a FAFSA alert page to monitor open issues.   For some issues, ED currently has no workaround.  Please be patient since we know they are working hard to resolve this.  The university anticipates we will be able to assist students with correction in late March.  

The changes to the FAFSA form for the 2024–25 aid year include a more streamlined application process and expanded eligibility for federal student aid. The U.S. Department of Education estimates we should see an increase in the number of students eligible to receive the Federal Pell Grant.

The 2024–2025 FAFSA priority deadline application is February 15 for new freshmen and new transfer students, and March 1 for continuing undergraduates.

Pro Tips for the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form | Federal Student Aid

Thank you for your patience. We will update this information as more details are provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

FAFSA Simplification

The FAFSA Simplification Act represents a significant overhaul of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid starting with the 2024–25 award year. This includes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, need calculation, and many policies and procedures for schools that participate in federal student aid programs.

Historically, the FAFSA has been available beginning October 1st each year. However, because of significant changes to the application and the rebuild of the FAFSA processing system, the Department of Education has indicated that students will be able to complete the 2024-25 FAFSA by December 31st and schools will begin receiving FAFSA data by January 31st. 

Streamlined Application Process

The new FAFSA will feature fewer questions, fewer requirements, and retrieve tax information using a direct data exchange from the IRS instead of the previous IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

Consent to Exchange Tax Information From the IRS

Rather than importing tax information into the FAFSA using the previously used IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT), contributors will now consent to transfer their tax information through the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX). This will reduce the number of financial questions that most families will see on the FAFSA.

The student and all contributors must provide this consent and approval on the FAFSA to be eligible for federal student aid. Providing consent even applies to contributors who don't have a Social Security Number, didn't file 2022 taxes, or who filed taxes outside the US.

New Terminology

The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will now be referred to as the Student Aid Index (SAI). The new formula removes the number of family members in college from the calculation, allows a minimum SAI of -1500, and implements a separate eligibility determination criterion for Federal Pell Grants.

The new FAFSA introduces the term contributor, which refers to anyone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form, including the student, the student’s spouse, a biological or adopted parent, or the parent’s spouse. Being a contributor does not imply responsibility for the student's college costs.

Expanding Pell Grant Eligibility

Federal Pell Grant eligibility is expanded to more students and will link eligibility to family size and the federal poverty level. 

Prepare for the FAFSA

Create an FSA ID on the Federal Student Aid website and assist contributors, such as your parent(s) or spouse, in creating an FSA ID.

If you already have an FSA ID, there is no need to create a new one.  Your existing FSA ID will continue to work.

Other Important Changes 

• The FAFSA will reduce the maximum number of questions from 108 to 46. And because the FAFSA on the Web is dynamic, some students won't even be presented with all 46 questions. This streamlined format will simplify the application process and make it less daunting for students and their families.
• Students may now send their FAFSA to up to 20 colleges
• The FAFSA will be expanded to the 11 most common languages spoken by English learner students and their parents
• Language-specific resources and support will also be available from FSA Information Center
• Once the FAFSA has been started, students will now be able to view the status, including contributor progress, on their FSA account
• Once all required data has been provided and all sections have been signed, any contributor can submit the FAFSA form
• After the FAFSA form is processed, a contributor can correct or update only their sections of the student’s application
• Previously, users had the option to enter their tax information manually or use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Beginning with 2024-25, all persons on the FAFSA must provide consent for the Department of Education to receive tax information or confirmation of non-filing status directly from the IRS. In a very small number of cases, students and families will have to enter their tax data manually, but for most, that data will be automatically transferred into the application. This change makes it easier to complete the FAFSA and reduces the number of questions to be answered.
• For dependent students, financial information was previously needed from the parent(s) the student had lived with the most in the last 12 months. With the new FAFSA, financial information will be required from the parent(s) who provided the most financial support to the student.
• When required, families must now report the value of their small business or family farm. If the family farm includes the principal place of residence, applicants should determine the total net value of all farm assets and subtract the net value of their principal residence to determine the final value of their farm assets.
• The results of the FAFSA form sent to the applicant in a document is now known as the FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS), with it formerly being called the Student Aid Report (SAR)
• A demographic data survey will be added to the FAFSA with questions related to race, ethnicity, and gender. The survey will not affect federal student aid eligibility and is used only for statistical purposes.

Stay Informed 

Stay informed of the FAFSA release date and additional resources through the Federal Student Aid website and social accounts.

How to Complete the FAFSA

Step 1

Get a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID from the U.S. Government

The FSA ID is a user-selected username and password that will allow you to:

• Complete and sign the FAFSA electronically
• Check the results of your FAFSA and make corrections to the application online

Since the FSA ID is user-specific, parents must request their own FSA ID in order to sign the FAFSA.

Get Your ID

New for 2024-25

A contributor—a new term being introduced on the 2024-25 FAFSA—refers to anyone who is required to provide information on a student's form (such as a parent/stepparent or spouse). A student's or parent's answers on the FAFSA will determine which contributors (if any) will be required to provide information.

Contributors will receive an email informing them that they've been identified as such, and will need to log in using their own FSA ID (if they don't already have one) to provide the required information on the student's FAFSA.

Being a contributor does not mean they are financially responsible for the student's education costs, but it does mean the contributor must provide information on the FAFSA or the application will be incomplete and the student will not be eligible for federal student aid.

Step 2

File Your FAFSA

Make sure to submit the FAFSA which corresponds to the school year you'll be attending. For example, students starting in Summer 2024 or Fall 2024 should submit the 2024–2025 FAFSA. Make sure to list St. Edward's federal school code, 003621, in the school release section of the application.

File Your FAFSA

Step 3

Monitor the Status of Your FAFSA

After you've filed your FAFSA, you can check the status of your application, or you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243 and use their automated response system. St. Edward's generally receives the results of your application within three days after it has been processed. If you do not receive a response from the Department of Education within two weeks of submitting your FAFSA, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center for assistance.

In addition to submitting the FAFSA, you also need to apply and be accepted to St. Edward's to receive your financial aid offer.

Check Your Application Status

Cómo Presentar el Formulario FAFSA® 2024–25 (Abril de 2024) 
How To Submit a 2024–25 FAFSA® Form in Spanish

Mira El Video

What is verification?

If you are selected for verification, you are not alone! About 30% of FAFSA filers are selected for the verification process.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) randomly selects students for verification. ED requires schools to collect documentation to check the accuracy of the FAFSA information. If selected, the verification process must be completed before financial aid can be disbursed. 

Please note: If a correction is made to a FAFSA, it could be selected for verification even if the original application was not.

A federally mandated process to confirm the accuracy of data provided by selected applicants on the FAFSA. To complete the verification process, the student, their parent(s), or spouse, if applicable, are required to provide certain documents to the school for review. If the documentation the student provides the institution doesn't match what was reported on the FAFSA, verification can result in changes to the student's financial aid eligibility, and/or financial aid offers.

When selected for verification, the student will be notified through their FAFSA and/or SEU email, as well as through their student portal, myHilltop, where they are directed to resolve outstanding financial aid requirements.  Students should upload the required verification documentation through the secured portal. We encourage students to submit outstanding requirements by July 1 for proper and timely processing of their financial aid.

IRS Data Retrieval Process

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) is available through the FAFSA! We highly recommend using this secure method to import student and parent tax information from the IRS into your FAFSA application.

Using DRT speeds up the verification process and can eliminate the need for extra paperwork.

Depending on how taxes were filed, the IRS DRT may not be an option. If selected for verification and ineligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, a copy of the tax RETURN TRANSCRIPT will be required. Note: The IRS redacts critical identifying information on tax return transcripts, such as full names of parents and dependents, so it is imperative to have them sent to you first; after adding student information, you should submit them to our office.

There are four options for obtaining a tax RETURN TRANSCRIPT:

1. You can get your free transcripts immediately online.
   • Go to IRS.gov and use the Get Transcript tool.
2. You can also get them by phone.
   • Call 800-908-9946 and follow the prompts.
3. Using the mobile app.
   • Download the IRS2Go mobile phone app on your smartphone and follow the instructions.
4. You can receive transcripts by mail or by fax (within five to 10 days from the time IRS receives your request).
   • Complete Form 4506T-EZ and follow the instructions. 

Please note: When uploading or submitting any documents to our office, we ask that you list the student’s full name and St. Edward’s ID number in the top right corner of the document. Failure to provide this information will lengthen processing time and may prevent us from processing your document entirely. 

Important Tips for Completing the Verification Process

• Complete all requested forms in full: Do not leave any questions blank. All questions must have an answer even if it is a "0". 
• Be sure the required signatures have been provided. Signatures should not be typed.
• Submitting your FAFSA early and completing verification is required before aid can be applied to the student’s account. The FAFSA for the upcoming academic year opens annually on October 1st.
• During peak periods, please allow extra time for processing your verification documents. 
• Once verification begins, you may be asked to submit additional documentation. If this occurs, an email will be sent to the student's SEU email account and all requested documents can be viewed on the myHilltop portal.

Special and Unusual Circumstances (Professional Judgment)

We recognize that the FAFSA may not always accurately reflect your financial situation. Although considerations for specific situations are limited, we may be able to give additional consideration for situations.  The FAFSA Simplification Act distinguishes between different categories of professional judgment by amending section 479A of the HEA.

• Special Circumstances refer to the financial situations (loss of a job, etc.) that justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements in the COA or the EFC  calculation.
• Unusual Circumstances refer to the conditions that justify an aid administrator adjusting a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation (e.g., human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental abandonment, incarceration), more commonly referred to as a dependency override.

Special Circumstance Appeals will be considered after you receive your initial award notification for the current aid year. Special circumstance considerations may require the counselor to verify tax documents. In addition, other documents pertaining to the circumstance may be required. Submitting a special circumstance request does not guarantee an adjustment will be made to your aid offer.

Please contact your Student Financial Aid Counselor to see if your situation falls under a circumstance that can be considered. If approved, any additional funding awarded may only be available for the academic school year for which the special circumstance is approved. Special circumstances must be reviewed annually.

Examples of Special Circumstances/Professional Judgment Considered

• Loss or reduction of income (layoff, illness, forced reduction of hours, temporary employment, etc.)
• Catastrophic medical or dental expenses
• Death, divorce, or separation of parents or spouse
• Non-recurring payments received during the FAFSA tax year that will not be repeated
• Loss of benefits, such as unemployment, disability, social security, veterans, child support, or alimony

Examples of Special Circumstances/Professional Judgment NOT Considered

• Increase of standard living expenses.
• Purchasing material items such as a car, home appliances, vacations, second homes, etc.
• Reduction of assets. Changes in assets will be reflected in the following year's FAFSA.
• Credit issues, line of credit changes, previous student loan debt, etc.
• Medical bills paid by health insurance or that will be reimbursed by health care coverage.

None of the Above

• My situation is unique and does not include the above situations.

The Special Circumstance Appeal form is available by request only. If you feel you have a special circumstance, contact your Student Financial Aid Counselor for further guidance.

Unusual Circumstances (Dependency)

When determining a student’s unusual circumstances, or in verifying homeless or foster youth statuses, schools must ensure that any supporting documentation they collect is adequate to substantiate the student’s— and, as applicable, the parent's or spouse’s— circumstances.  If you feel you have an unusual circumstance, contact your Student Financial Aid Counselor for further guidance.