FAFSA Simplification 2024-25

Last Updated Thursday March 28, 2024

In December 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act which includes the FAFSA Simplification Act—a comprehensive redesign of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid. Specifically, the law makes it easier for students and families to complete and submit the FAFSA and expands access to federal student aid.

The 2024-2025 FAFSA process looks a bit different than it was in the past. Don’t worry, Elmhurst University is here to help you. The Office of Student Financial Services (SFS) will update this page as additional information is made available so that we can continue to educate students, families and our campus community on the new processes.

When Will You Receive My FAFSA?

As of March 20^th, Elmhurst University is now receiving FAFSA information from the Department of Education.
FAFSAs are currently being processed and Student Financial Services is working through all files that we have received.
There are currently technical issues that are preventing some FAFSAs from being processed. If your FAFSA is impacted by these issues, please contact Student Financial Services for more information.

When Will I See My Financial Aid Award Offer?

Prospective students that have completed a 2024-25 FAFSA will have their financial aid awarded beginning the week of March 25^th.
Current Elmhurst students that have completed a 2024-25 FAFSA will have their financial aid awarded beginning in April.
Some students may need to provide additional information or documentation to finalize their FAFSA and financial aid awards. Students will be notified of what is required to complete the process.
Once awarded, students will be notified via email that they can view their financial aid in Self-Service. Ensure that you have access to the Student Portal using your eNumber.
Prospective students will also receive an award offer letter packet in the mail.

Can I Still Complete the FAFSA?

The 2024-2025 FAFSA is available now. If you haven’t already, visit studentaid.gov/fafsa to get started.
If you haven’t already, retrieve or create your FSA ID. Contributors who do not have a Social Security Number will be able to establish an FSA ID.
Determine if you need to invite Contributors to your FAFSA, such as a parent or spouse.
Gather 2022 federal tax information for the student and Contributor(s), including net business and/or farm values.

What Happens After I Submit My Application?

Students will receive an email informing them that their FAFSA form has been fully processed and that their FAFSA information has been sent to the schools they listed on their form. Schools will begin receiving submitted FAFSA applications beginning in mid-March. The Department of Education has suggested it may take 2 weeks for all applications to be processed and sent to schools listed on your FAFSA.
Students who applied using the online FAFSA form will receive an email that they can access their FAFSA Submission Summary by logging in to StudentAid.gov using their account username and password.
The ability for students to make update and corrections to their FAFSA forms will be available in the first half of April.
Student Financial Services will award FAFSAs for the 2024-25 year within a few weeks of receiving them.

Where Can I Get More Information?

We recommend monitoring StudentAid.gov for the latest guidance from the U.S. Department of Education. For any technical issues with the FAFSA application, please contact Federal Student Aid at (800) 433-3243, or by Live Chat. For any other questions, please contact our office, either by phone at (630) 617-3015, or by email at sfs@elmhurst.edu.

You can also schedule an appointment with the Office of Student Financial Services by using our appointment scheduler.

FAQ’s

We understand that many students have been experiencing challenges submitting the FAFSA application, so we want to confirm that Elmhurst University will be accommodating students who are experiencing delays. We recommend completing your application by May 1. For Illinois residents, ISAC has suggested the priority date for returning MAP recipients is April 1, 2024.

Yes, all current and incoming students have the option to make an appointment with the Office of Student Financial Services to complete your FAFSA application. Families are welcome to join! Appointments can be made using our appointment scheduler.

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. Some of the changes you will see include a streamlined application with fewer questions, an easier way to transfer tax information directly from the IRS, and “EFC” (Expected Family Contribution) being replaced with the Student Aid Index (SAI).

Federal Student Aid has released an Issue Alert Report, where they are monitoring the status of common issues users are experiencing. We recommend bookmarking this page for regular status updates and resources related to the FAFSA Launch.

If your tax data does not accurately reflect your current household income due to changes such as (but not limited to) a loss of a job or a divorce, you may be eligible to complete a Special Circumstance Appeal. We will need to wait until FAFSA data is received to begin the appeal process. You can find more information on this appeal here.

As of March 20th, Elmhurst University is now receiving FAFSA information from the Department of Education. You will receive email confirmation once your application has been processed by the Department of Education and you can review your FAFSA Submission Summary. Elmhurst University should receive FAFSA information regularly moving forward.

Once you receive an email confirming your FAFSA application has been processed, you can return to http://www.studentaid.gov to make corrections or add schools to your FAFSA application. The ability for students to make update and corrections to their FAFSA forms will be available in the first half of April.

If you are an Illinois student who is not eligible for federal financial aid (and do not file the FAFSA), you may apply for a State of Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant using the online Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid, which is patterned after the FAFSA. The 2024-25 application is available to complete now.

Contributors who do not have a Social Security Number will be able to establish an FSA ID. There was an issue preventing students with contributors without a Social Security number (SSN) from successfully submitting their FAFSA application due to technical difficulties. This issue has mostly been resolved. However, all users without an SSN must manually enter their financial information until a fix has been implemented. If you continue to experience any related issues, please contact Student Financial Services.