The 2024-2025 FAFSA is now available. Learn more at Future Student and Current Students.
If you ran into any technical issues submitting your 2024-2025 FAFSA, please complete this survey.
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FAFSA 2024-25

FAFSA 2024-25

Important Updates for New Students and Families

LATEST UPDATES

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Important Dates

FAFSA 2024-25

Latest Updates

April 9, 2024

  • The Department of Education is still on target to provide “The ability for students to make updates and corrections to their FAFSA forms will be available in the first half of April.”  This means in the next week you should receive and email that you can make corrections to your FAFSA if you need to do so.  We will be communicating with you by email to help you understand any corrections you need to make.

March 28, 2024

  • We are currently loading FAFSA applications into our system and testing to make sure things are working correctly.  This testing will likely take us until the middle of next week to complete.  We will then start communicating with you about the status of your FAFSA and the things you need to do.  Please watch Beaver Basecamp and your email for updates on your specific situation.

March 25, 2024

  • The Department of Education (ED) announced “The ability for students to make updates and corrections to their FAFSA forms will be available in the first half of April.”

    • Prior to opening the option to correct a FAFSA, the Department will provide guidance for how to make several different corrections including adding missing signatures and other common errors.

March 13, 2024

  • The Department of Education (ED) announced "we have implemented and verified two technical fixes that have resolved access for impacted individuals:

    • Previously, if a parent with no SSN started the 2024-25 FAFSA form for a student, the parent received an error message on the “Student Information” page. This incorrect error message stated that the user was “unauthorized to act on behalf of the student since they already have a 24-25 FAFSA form” even if the student had not started an application.

    •  A contributor with no SSN was not able to contribute to the form, even if the student started the application and invited the parent or spouse to contribute. Contributors who were previously impacted by this issue may now log in to FAFSA.gov to complete their section of the online FAFSA form, after they are invited to participate in the form by the student. The Department still recommends that the student start the application and then invite the parent to contribute to their form for the best user experience and to avoid any further glitches.

March 5, 2024

  • The Department of Education (ED) on Monday reiterated that it is on track to deliver the initial batches of 2024-25 FAFSA applications to institutions in the first half of March. Additionally, they clarified the timeline for institutions to receive all the applications. This timeline will begin in mid-March with the initial batches of FAFSAs and extend for several weeks as ED works through the backlog of applications. Once the electronic applications have been delivered to institutions they will begin processing the paper FAFSAs that students have submitted. 
  • This means that we should have all the FAFSA applications by the middle of April. Our goal remains to start sending out financial aid offers by the first week of May. 

February 20, 2024

  • The Department of Education (ED) on Tuesday announced that it would resolve a 2024-25 FAFSA issue that is preventing submission when a contributor does not have a Social Security Number (SSN), in the “first half” of March.
  • ED urged applicants to wait for the permanent fix if possible, but has offered a workaround process by which impacted applicants can submit an online FAFSA without the contributor’s signature in order to obtain a confirmation email with an application submission date. The confirmation email can be used as documentation of FAFSA submission if needed for state, institutional, and/or private aid deadlines.

January 31, 2024

  • The Department of Education (ED) on Tuesday announced that institutions and states will begin receiving Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) in the “first half of March,” backtracking its original — and already delayed — commitment that ISIRs would be delivered by the end of January.
  • Once FAFSA processing begins in March, students will also be able to make corrections to their FAFSAs. ED has confirmed that the school corrections process will be available after the student correction process, but did not provide an estimated date.
  • Please remember, we will not hold you accountable for issues that you could not control.  Please complete your 2024-25 FAFSA before May 1, 2024 and we will work out the rest of the issues. We will notify you through your OSU email when we receive your FAFSA application, most likely in the end of March or early April. 

January 23, 2024

  • The Department of Education (ED) on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, announced that it will update the tables used to protect a portion of a family’s income and assets from being considered in the Student Aid Index (SAI) by inflation-adjusted amounts.  This means that more students will be eligible for more grant aid.  Unfortunately, ED did not give a timeline of when or how the new tables will be implemented and if this will impact their distribution of FAFSAs to institutions at the end of January as originally stated. 
  • Please remember, we will not hold you accountable for issues that you could not control.  Please complete your 2024-25 FAFSA before May 1, 2024 and we will work out the rest of the issues. 

January 2, 2024

  • The DOE began its soft launch of the 2024-25 FAFSA over the weekend.  The application has been available periodically and will continue in that way for an unspecified period of time. They have it up for a while and then take it down to do maintenance, fix bugs, etc. 
  • If you are able to complete the FAFSA during this time that is great.  You will not have to come back after the soft launch. Schools will not get the application until the end of January. Please be patient.
  • If you cannot get in to do the FAFSA, don’t worry.  You will have time and we will not get the applications until the end of January.  We recommend checking once a day this week at studentaid.gov.
  • There is no downside to just waiting until mid-January to try filling out the FAFSA.

What is the FAFSA?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA, is the federal form you complete every year to apply for federal financial aid (grants, loans, work study). The FAFSA will ask you about details about your family and pull income and tax data from the IRS. Typically, the FAFSA becomes available on October 1 each year. The 2024-25 FAFSA has opened with what the Department of Education is calling a "soft launch". The application is periodically taken off-line to do maintenance, fix bugs, etc. Please do not feel stressed if you have not been able to complete the form yet.  Schools will not receive any of the applications until the middle of March. The FAFSA application is now available the vast majority of the time for you to complete. These changes should make the form easier and shorter to fill out.

The Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA) is an alternative to the FAFSA for some Oregon residents who are not eligible to submit a FAFSA. The ORSAA is also currently open and ready. You can check for updates on the Oregon Student Aid page. Take this quiz to decide which financial aid application is right for you!

female student sitting in room looking at her phone

Why should I fill out a FAFSA?

The FAFSA helps create a team between you, OSU, and the Department of Education. When you complete a FAFSA, you make sure you're in the running for the most support possible to cover your college expenses.

     

You and your family

Your family needs it to know what college will cost once financial aid sources are factored in.

    

The Department of Education

The federal government needs it to determine which federal financial aid programs you’re eligible to receive.

    

Your college or university

OSU needs it to consider you for need-based aid from the university.

How will the 2024–2025 FAFSA changes affect me?

There are some updates coming to the FAFSA for the next aid year. If you're starting college in the summer of 2024, or any term after that, the FAFSA will be ready for you in late December 2023. Here's what you should be aware of regarding the changes to the FAFSA. The ORSAA is changing, too!

    

Streamlined application

For most students there will be less than half of the questions than on prior FAFSAs. The FAFSA will now have a direct data exchange with the IRS.  This will simplify the student and parent experience.

  

Introducing contributors

A contributor is anyone who is required to provide information and consent on the FAFSA. This includes the student and, depending on the student situation, may also include their parent, parent’s spouse or student’s spouse.

  

FSA ID requirement

All contributors must have their own FSA ID to complete their section of the FAFSA. If you have not already, create your FSA ID today.  You, and any contributor, will need to have an FSA ID before you start the FAFSA. Plan to get your FSA ID about 3-5 days before you try to fill out the FAFSA.

How Do I Submit
My FAFSA?

To file your 2024-25 FAFSA, go to studentaid.gov. You will need the following:

  1. 2022 tax, income, and bank information might be useful. (Tax information should automatically download into your FAFSA this year, but have your 2022 tax data ready in case there is an issue)
  2. Your Social Security number
  3. Alien registration number (if you are not a U.S citizen)
  4. An FSA ID account to sign your FAFSA electronically (all your contributors will need to create FSA IDs, too)*

*When the 2024-25 FAFSA launches, there will be a new process for people without a social security number (SSN) to also sign up for an FSA ID.

Tip: Your FAFSA application will ask you things such as your family’s income and how many people are in your family. These questions help determine how much aid you’re eligible for. You have to submit a FAFSA every year because your circumstances will change. But don’t worry, it takes only about 30 minutes to fill out the FAFSA application and there are plenty of resources to help you. Start with this FAFSA guide and review the Pro Tips for the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form to help get started.

Watch this instructional video on how to submit the FAFSA.

Frequently asked questions

There are a number of updates that should make the FAFSA a more streamlined and user-friendly experience, as well as several changes to how a student/family's financial "need" is calculated. Some highlights are:

  • The look and flow of the FAFSA will be updated, and it will be available in additional commonly spoken languages in the U.S.
  • Applicants and required contributors will be required to consent to the IRS Direct Data Exchange, allowing the FAFSA to access their tax information (if available) directly from the IRS.
  • The maximum number of questions will be reduced from 100+ down to less than 50 due to the IRS data exchange and other simplifications. Some students will have even less questions, depending on their circumstances.
  • The Student Aid Index (SAI) is replacing the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
  • Students may now list up to 20 colleges and universities on their FAFSA.
  • Some students will be automatically awarded the Federal Pell Grant if their family meets certain income criteria in relation to the federal poverty level. For example, a student could qualify for a maximum Pell Grant if their family's AGI is within 175% (or 225% for single parent households) of the federal poverty level for their household size .
  • The number of household members in college will no longer impact the SAI calculation.
  • For dependent students with divorced/separated parents, the parent reported on the FAFSA will now be whichever parent provided the most financial support over the past year (or the most recent year financial support was provided).
  • Students with unusual circumstances, such as unaccompanied homeless youth, may be able to submit the FAFSA without parental information as a provisional independent student. Schools must still document if the student's situation qualifies.
  • Applicants and contributors must report the value of small businesses and family farms as assets when required.

The FAFSA is now available now.  Please review the latest updates for our most recent information available.

Federal Student Aid has a brief overview of FAFSA Simplification changes at studentaid.gov. Further information should be posted on studentaid.gov as the 2024-25 FAFSA is closer to release.

There are no income requirements to be considered for federal student aid. Many factors beyond income are important to determine eligibility, so we recommend that all students complete a FAFSA to be considered for the maximum amount of aid. Additionally, some OSU scholarships require financial need, so students without a FAFSA or ORSAA on file cannot be considered for those awards.

Most international students are not eligible to receive federal student aid, but there are opportunities to find private aid, such as scholarships. The FAFSA is open to U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens.

The FAFSA is available to U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens. The ORSAA is available to some Oregon residents who are not eligible to submit a FAFSA. Take this quiz to decide which financial aid application is right for you.

View Federal Student Aid's "How To Submit the 2024–25 FAFSA Form if Your Contributor Doesn’t Have an SSN" webpage. (Español)

Although the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has not provided an exhaustive list of reasons a FAFSA contributor might be asked to manually enter financial information on the FAFSA, NASFAA is aware of the following examples:

  • The contributor’s marital status has changed since filing their Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax return for the applicable tax year (e.g., parents filed a joint tax return but are separated, divorced, or remarried when filing the FAFSA);
  • The contributor filed taxes in a U.S. territory (Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands), commonwealth, or foreign country;
  • The contributor indicates on the online FAFSA that they have not filed a tax return but plan to;
  • The contributor is a victim of IRS tax-related identity theft;
  • The contributor did not provide consent to transfer federal tax information (FTI);
  • The contributor's identifiers do not match IRS records (IRS Response Code 203);
  • The FUTURE Act Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX) transfer of FTI was incomplete (IRS Response Code 206; reason unknown);
  • The IRS was unable to confirm tax return data (IRS Response Code 212; reason unknown); and
  • IRS data is unavailable for an IRS system-related outage at the time the FAFSA is being completed.

ED has addressed the scenario where there is a difference in the contributor’s current marital status and tax filing status in the FAFSA Simplification Questions and Answers:

“SAI-Q7: There are situations where the FTI does not accurately reflect an individual’s situation such as when an applicant was married and filed jointly two years ago but has since divorced and no longer has a spouse. Are such applicants required to manually provide income and tax information on the FAFSA form?

SAI-A7: Yes. There are circumstances when an applicant’s FTI does not accurately represent the applicant’s financial situation, including cases where an individual’s marital status has changed since filing taxes two years prior. In these circumstances, the applicant and/or one of their FAFSA contributors may need to enter data on the FAFSA form manually.”

What happens after I submit my FAFSA?

For 2024-25 things will be a little different. Normally we would receive your application within a few days.  This year, even if you fill out the application as soon as it is available, we will not receive it until the middle of March, 2024.  Please be patient. During this time, we won't have access to any of your information. After we receive your FAFSA application we may need help confirming information on your FAFSA so you get the right financial aid. This is called "verification," and it’s a common thing. If we need more information, you’ll be contacted. We hit pause on processing your financial aid during this time but start up again after you’ve submitted the documents we need.

student sitting on bench typing on laptop

OSU FAFSA and ORSAA calendar and deadlines

  • Late December 2023

    • FAFSA and ORSAA open

    • The FAFSA and ORSAA open for the 2024-25 year. The earlier you submit, the more financial aid you’ll be considered for. Get started on yours as soon as possible.
       

  • Middle of March 2024

    • OSU will receive your FAFSA application and reach out to you with any questions. Please be patient until this happens. ORSAA applications will be sent to us later, we have not received a firm date from the State.
       

  • May 1, 2024

    • FAFSA and ORSAA priority date 

    • Oregon State University's FAFSA Priority Filing Deadline has been moved for the 2024-25 year to May 1, 2024! This is an extension for 2024 due to the delays in FAFSA processing at the Department of Education. Submit your FAFSA or ORSAA before OSU's priority filing date to maximize the amount of aid you will be considered for. Eligible students who apply by this date have a greater chance of receiving need-based aid. We only need you to complete the FAFSA or ORSAA application by this date. It is fine if it is still being processed or you are working with us in the verification process after this date.

If you have any questions please reach out to us

  Call financial aid at 
541-737-2241

  Email financial aid at
financial.aid@oregonstate.edu