UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

Apply for Aid

2024-2025 FAFSA

The 2024-2025 FAFSA is now open.


There are changes with the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Changes to Expect:
  1. Reduced number of questions the student has to answer on the form.
     
  2. FAFSA "Contributor". A contributor is anyone who is asked to provide information on the student's FAFSA, including:
    • The student
    • Student's spouse (if applicable)
    • A biological or adoptive parent
    • The spouse of a remarried parent who is on the FAFSA - the stepparent
  3. FSA ID and Consent. Each Contributor will need an FSA ID in order to complete the FAFSA and provide consent to have their Federal Tax Information transferred from the IRS. Consent is provided once during the aid year and is necessary even if the contributor does not have an SSN, did not file taxes, or filed taxes in another country.
    Make sure your FSA ID is active or create one if needed. If married individuals filed their taxes separately, both will need to have an FSA ID.
     
  4. Income and Tax Data will be provided differently. Previously, students and parents could use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to transfer data from the IRS into the FAFSA or they could enter it manually. The 2024-25 FAFSA will require all contributors on the FAFSA to use the "IRS Direct Data Exchange" (DDX) to share income and tax information or they must confirm a non-filing tax status.

    Providing consent (#3. FSA ID and Consent) allows the DDX to share and transfer tax information directly from the IRS to the FAFSA if able. The ensure infomation is secure, the federal tax information will not display on the FAFSA site or the FAFSA Submission Summary.
     
  5. Parent of Record. For divorced or separated parents, income and assets are reported for the parent who provides the most financial support even if the student does not live with that parent or lives with the other parent. If the parent of record has remarried, the inocme of that parent's spouse must be included on the FAFSA. View FAFSA's guide on how to figure out which parent(s) should provide information on the 2024-25 FAFSA.
     
  6. Student Aid Index (SAI) replaces the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). The SAI is a number that determines each student's eligibility for certain types of federal student aid.
     
  7. Students no longer provide their housing plans on the FAFSA (on campus, off campus, or with parent).
Curious about what your 2024-25 aid offer may look like with these changes? Use the Federal Student Aid Estimator.


For more information on preparing for the 2024-2025 FAFSA, check out Federal Student Aid's Educational Webinars and Videos. Here are some of the informational videos they provide:

How to check the status of your FAFSA

You can check the status through https://studentaid.gov or https://fafsa.gov.

Instructions at https://studentaid.gov/help/check-fafsa-status

 

**Note: 2024-2025 FAFSA changes are being implemented by the U.S. Department of Education. Information provided on this page is subject to change as new information becomes available.