2025-26 FAFSA
Starting with the 2025-26 school year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has been simplified to improve and expand access to student aid.
The 2025-26 FAFSA will be accessible on December 1, 2024, for a limited number of test students. The anticipated date for ALL students to access the 2025-26 FAFSA is January 1, 2025.
For students and parents seeking help with completing the 2025-26 FAFSA, FMU’s Financial Assistance Office will host a FAFSA night on January 21, 2025. A registration link will be provided in the near future.
The Department of Education announced that schools will start receiving FAFSA information late-April.
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For Continuing students, the awarding process will start after Spring Grades are posted.
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For new Students as soon as FMU starts receiving FAFSA information the awarding process will start immediately.
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All Students will receive updates through their FMU Gmail accounts.
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FMU will continue to update the Financial Assistance webpage and send out email updates as we receive more information from the Department of Education on FAFSA updates.
Important Changes
Below is a list of changes that you will see on the 2025-26 FAFSA application. We will continue to add updates as they become available.
Federal Student Aid Identification (FSA ID)
A Federal Student Aid identification (FSA ID) is required for everyone who will be a contributor to the FAFSA.
- A contributor is anyone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA. This includes the student, parent(s), stepparent(s), or a spouse. A student’s answers on the FAFSA will determine who should contribute information to the FAFSA.
- Contributors will create a FSA ID using their Social Security Number (SSN). If a contributor does not have a SSN , they must complete a knowledge-based identity authentication process to create their FSA ID. This will allow anyone, including undocumented contributors, to create a FSA ID. It may take 1-3 days before the FSA ID can be used to access the FAFSA.
To invite a contributor to complete their portion of the FAFSA, the student will need to provide the contributor’s name, date of birth, SSN (if they have one), and email address.
Consent
Students and contributors must provide consent once for each award year. Once consent is provided, it cannot be revoked for that year. If a contributor does not provide consent, the FAFSA will be considered incomplete and aid eligibility will not be calculated. Students and contributors must consent to having their Federal Tax Information (FTI):
- Transferred from the IRS.
- Used to determine eligibility for student aid.
- Shared with institutions and state higher education agencies for the administration of Title IV aid.
Direct Data Exchange (DDX)
The Direct Data Exchange (DDX) will replace the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Students and contributors are required to use the FUTURE Act Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX) to transfer tax information from the IRS to the FAFSA or to confirm non-filing status. Contributors cannot manually enter their FTI on the FAFSA.
Student Aid Index (SAI)
Student Aid Index (SAI) is replacing the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The SAI will be used to determine aid eligibility and the following changes will occur: Family size will be based on the number of people claimed as exemptions on tax forms filed for the people reported on the FAFSA. In addition, the family size may be modified during the aid year if it is no longer an accurate reflection of family size. Also, the number of family members in college will no longer be used to calculate aid eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you already have an FSA ID, you do not need to create a new FSA ID. Your current FSA ID will still be valid.
No. Each contributor must have their own FSA ID or StudentAid.gov account.
For a student to be considered eligible for Title IV federal aid, all contributors must provide consent and approval.
The information required when inviting a contributor (student, independent student’s spouse, or dependent student’s parent) to complete the FAFSA includes the contributor’s:
- Legal name (from their Social Security Card);
- Date of birth;
- Social Security Number (SSN) if they have one;
- Mailing address if they don’t have an SSN; and
- Email address.
The Department of Education announced that schools will start receiving 2024-25 FAFSA information late April. For new Students as soon as FMU starts receiving 2024-25 FAFSA information the awarding process will start immediately. All Students will receive updates through their FMU Gmail accounts. FMU will continue to update the Financial Assistance webpage and send out email updates as we receive more information about the 2024-25 FAFSA from the Department of Education.
No, it is not too late to complete the FAFSA. As soon as FMU starts receiving 2024-25 FAFSA information the awarding process will start immediately. Please see below for contact information.
It is not too late you can find our application at FMLINK. Please see below for contact information.
If you haven’t already, go to StudentAid.gov and register for your Federal Student Aid ID and password as soon as possible. Prepare to have your 2022 tax information available (if you filed taxes).
FMU’s Financial Aid Advisors and Admissions Counselors are available to assist with any questions you may have about the 2024-25 FAFSA application process. The Financial Aid Team at FMU can help you submit the FAFSA.
How to Connect with Francis Marion University’s Financial Aid Team
How to Connect with Francis Marion University’s Admissions Team