Resources available for the 2024–25 FAFSA® form
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the FAFSA Simplification act?
- 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. Read full article on federalstudentaid.gov.
When will the form be available?
- The 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is available periodically as part of a soft launch. During the soft launch, the FAFSA form will be available for short periods of time while site performance and form functionality are monitored. Pauses will occur for site maintenance and to make technical updates as needed to provide you with a better experience.
When should I apply?
For maximum consideration of financial aid, we recommend that you submit your FAFSA by the following dates:
- February 15, 2024 for all students who are new to Penn State (or at your earliest convenience)
- April 15, 2024 for all students returning to Penn State
- May 1, 2024 for Pennsylvania residents who are interested in applying for the Pennsylvania State Grant*
How do I submit the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form if my contributor doesn’t have a SSN?
A technical issue prevented contributors without a Social Security number (SSN) from starting or accessing the form. This issue has been resolved. Review instructions at How To Submit the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form if Your Contributor Doesn’t Have an SSN.
How do I check the status of my 2024-25 FAFSA®? What are the statuses?
Check the status of your form by logging in to your StudentAid.gov account and selecting your FAFSA submission from the “My Activity” section of your account Dashboard. Review the FAFSA statuses.
How do I make a correction to my 2024-25 FAFSA®?
Learn how to make a correction at studentaid.gov
What can I do to prepare?
- Determine who will be a contributor on your FAFSA.
- Each contributor on the FAFSA should create an account, username, and password (FSA ID) with a unique email address.
- Regain access to your FSA ID account name and password
- Use the Federal Student Aid Estimator Tool to see how much federal student aid you may be eligible for in the 2024–25 award year*
*Uses Student Aid Index (SAI), not Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
- Preview the .pdf version of the FAFSA (online submission of application recommended)
Subscribe to Federal Student Aid on YouTube
Subscribe to FSA Outreach for recordings of Financial Aid Bootcamp Sessions (October 25 and 26)
What's changed for the 2024-25 FAFSA® Form
Gather Information Required To Complete the FAFSA® Form
Understand and Prepare FAFSA® Form Contributors
What does it mean to provide consent and approval on the 2024-25 FAFSA® Form
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