FAFSA Simplification Act
2024-2025 FAFSA Update (FAFSA Simplification Act)
The FAFSA Simplification Act was enacted by Congress as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This law reduces the number of questions students will have to answer on the form, makes crucial changes to the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand Pell Grant eligibility and removes outdated restrictions to make federal student aid more accessible to all students.
WPI’s Office of Financial Aid hosted two information sessions to help returning students and families understand the changes to the 2024-2025 FAFSA. If you missed the presentation, you can find a copy here:
Videos of frequently asked questions can be found below.
2024-2025 FAFSA is Open
The 2024-2025 FAFSA is now available for students and families to file. Federal Student Aid may pause the site for maintenance and technical updates as needed.
The 2024–25 FAFSA form expands eligibility for federal student aid, including Pell Grants, and provides a streamlined user experience. 610,000 new students from low-income backgrounds will be eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants due to updates to student aid calculations. Plus, applicants will be able to skip as many as 26 questions, depending on their individual circumstances. Some applicants could answer as few as 18 questions, which could take less than 10 minutes.
When you submit your completed 2024–25 FAFSA form, you’ll get an email confirming that we received your form with preliminary information related to your eligibility for federal student aid. This will include your estimated Student Aid Index (SAI) and estimated eligibility for Federal Pell Grants.
Correcting Your FAFSA
FAFSA corrections are now available for students and their contributors. If a contributor needs to correct their information, they must login to their own https://studentaid.gov/ account to complete the correction. More information about making corrections to the 2024-2025 FAFSA are available here.
For FAFSA Contributors without Social Security Numbers
The following document outlines instructions for submitting your FAFSA if your contributor does not have a social security number, available in both English and Spanish.
2024-2025 Federal Student Aid Estimator Tool
The Federal Student Aid Estimator provides students and families an estimate of their 2024-2025 federal financial aid using the new Student Aid Index (SAI).
Please note: This is not a FAFSA. Students will need to complete a 2024-2025 FAFSA to be considered for federal or need-based institutional financial aid.
Federal Student Aid Videos
Federal Student Aid has released a series of educational webinars and videos related to recent changes in federal aid including the 2024-2025 FAFSA. You can view these videos on their YouTube channel here.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is committed to keeping students, families, and our community updated. As we receive more information from the Department of Education and Federal Student Aid, we will update this webpage.