What Does the 2024-25 FAFSA Soft Launch Mean for You?

Earlier this fall, the Department of Education announced the 2024-2025 FAFSA would be opening by or before December 31, 2023. The December 30th opening has been called a soft launch by the Office of Federal Student Aid (a division of the U.S. Department of Education). The opening date change is a result of the congressionally adopted FAFSA Simplification Act which involved many form adjustments occurring in phases and spanning two years. The ultimate goal of the form redo was and is to make filing and renewing the FAFSA easier and make more students Pell Grant eligible. These student-focused adjustments are great, but why is Federal Student Aid (FSA) now calling the 2024-2025 FAFSA opening a soft launch and what does that mean?

What’s a FAFSA Soft Launch?

Students and parents can expect the 2024-2025 FAFSA to be available, off and on, for the time being. According to FSA, issues have been discovered at various points on the FAFSA application. When the site is down, the FSA team is working in real-time to fix problems. The normal, FAFSA hard launch occurs on October 1 each year. FSA pushed the October open date into December to allow for necessary form and formula updates related to the FAFSA overhaul. Unexpected technical issues and concerns led FSA officials to term the December 2024-2025 FAFSA as a soft launch opening.

Navigating the FAFSA Soft Launch

There are scenarios students may encounter during the 2024-25 FAFSA soft launch. We’ve listed these concerns and have included solutions below.

You’re worried about having less time to submit the 2024-2025 FAFSA.

This thought is understandable, as high school seniors and current college students have been encouraged to submit their FAFSA as soon as the form becomes available. The good news is the revised FAFSA will take less time to complete. The new version has 72 fewer questions than the previous version! The FAFSA update also imports federal income tax data. FSA assures users that there is no need to rush to fill out the form right now and there is “ample time” to complete the form. FSA adds schools will not receive student financial aid results until late January.

You’ve heard the FAFSA delay involves the possibility of intermittent pauses. What if you’re working on the form when a pause occurs?

It would be disappointing to lose your progress at any point during the process of completing the form—beginning or end—or to be kicked out of the form unexpectedly. FSA confirmed applicants could be placed in a waiting room if the site is experiencing high visit volumes and to expect periods when the form is down for repair. Your data will be saved in the system as you move through the application, protecting your FAFSA progress. Consider using the next week or so to ensure you are fully prepared to complete the FAFSA. Use a FAFSA checklist to prep before logging in to complete the form. This gives the FSA team the chance to work out any kinks and lowers the possibility of users ending up in the FAFSA waiting room.

You’ll miss your state’s financial aid priority deadline.

Students set to renew their FAFSA know that to receive state financial aid, you must complete the federal FAFSA first. Additionally, state aid is given to students on a first-come, first-served basis. FSA reassures students and their families that the schools they select will receive their FAFSA eligibility information in late January. Many states have updated application deadlines and processes to accommodate the soft launch. Students are encouraged to check the 2024-25 financial aid and FAFSA state deadlines for revisions. There are a few special notes for students residing in the below states: •Iowa, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont Students: You will be redirected to a state-approved site to complete your state aid application separately. •Minnesota Students: If you were previously eligible to transfer your FAFSA information directly into the Minnesota state application, you will not be redirected to links to transfer your FAFSA data. Consider visiting the Minnesota Department of Education website for more information.

You're a high school senior who plans to compare financial aid offers to help you determine which school to enroll in.

Parents and students are concerned they won’t have enough time to evaluate financial aid award letters and make their college choices by National Decision Day in May. Using your financial aid award letters to determine which college or school you can afford to attend is a necessary step. But, to get to this point, you must first submit your FAFSA and apply for state financial aid too, if applicable. The schools you’ve selected are expected to receive your FAFSA eligibility information in late January. A confirmation email will be sent to you sharing your information that has been successfully sent to those schools. Expect to start receiving financial aid award letters from schools “several weeks” after the end of January.

Complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA

Remember more students will qualify for the federal Pell Grant because of the FAFSA revamp. The Pell Grant is free money to help students pay for school—you don’t have to pay back those funds! However, if you don’t submit your FAFSA you won’t know if you’re Pell Grant eligible or if you qualify for any other financial support options like the federal Work-Study program. Avoid FAFSA errors by having what you’ll need to complete the form. Once you’ve filed your 2024-2025 FAFSA, keep an eye on your email for confirmation and follow up instructions from both FSA and the schools listed on your FAFSA. The late release may have complicated things for the time being, but don’t let this stop you from completing the form! Check out the below articles and resources for more FAFSA information: What You Need to Know About FAFSA Simplification Items You'll Need to Complete the FAFSA FAFSA and Financial Aid Information Federal Student Aid Announcements