The 2024-25 FAFSA has been delayed and will not be available until sometime in December 2023. This means that UW-Madison will not have a December 1 FAFSA Priority Date for the 2024-25, but rather encourage students to submit it as soon as they can once it becomes available. This is due to the transition to “FAFSA Simplification.”
Three important FAFSA Simplification facts:
- The online 2024-25 FAFSA will be ‘role-based,’ meaning those required to contribute (student, student’s spouse, and/or parent) will provide their own financial and other information on the FAFSA, will only be able to see questions relating to their specific role, and will also need their own FSA ID to log in.
- Everyone, whether or not they have a Social Security Number, will be required to have a FSA ID to access and complete the student’s online FAFSA.
- The final figure calculated by the FAFSA will no longer be called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Rather, it will be called the Student Aid Index (SAI) to more accurately describe how that number is used to determine financial aid eligibility.
In general, FAFSA Simplification means a more streamlined application process, fewer barriers for certain student populations (e.g., homeless and unaccompanied youth, incarcerated students, English language learners, and students from low-income backgrounds), and expanded access to financial aid.
For more information visit the Office of Student Financial Aid’s FAFSA webpage.
This post was authored by Academic Affairs on 09/14/2023.