The continued delays of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) have caused anxiety, confusion, and discomfort for many students and families, as well as for college staff and administrators. We want to provide greater clarity for you on this issue with the below FAQs, which we will update accordingly as more information is available.
What is the FAFSA, and where can I access it?
- The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is the the application students will complete to apply for federal, state, and Arcadia need-based grant aid.
- You can access the FAFSA at studentaid.gov.
Should I do anything before I file the FAFSA?
Yes, you and your parent / parents need to apply for an FSA ID before you can file the FAFSA. You should apply for an FSA ID about 3-5 days before you plan on filing the FAFSA; create your FSA ID at studentaid.gov.
How and when can students apply for FAFSA?
The FAFSA is available to complete now at studentaid.gov. Although there is a paper application available to download, students are encouraged to use the online form.
Why did the FAFSA change?
The changes to the FAFSA were required as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act. The FAFSA Simplification Act required changes to the FAFSA application to make the process easier for students and families. The new FAFSA has fewer questions and uses data directly from the IRS to populate income information.
What are some of the key changes to the FAFSA?
- Families will notice some key changes to the FAFSA:
- The application is role-based, which is why students and parents need their own FSA ID. Students will only be presented with questions that are applicable to them, while parents will only be presented with parent specific questions.
- All applicants completing the online form will need to consent to having income data transferred to their FAFSA directly from the IRS.
How long will it take for my FAFSA to be processed?
- The department of education is currently processing FAFSA applications and schools expect to receive FAFSA data by mid-March.
- Arcadia expects award offers available for admitted students, who have included our school code, in very early April.
I filed my FAFSA but I think I made a mistake; how can I see what I submitted and change it if I need to?
Once your FAFSA is fully processed by the Department of Education, in March, you will receive something called a FAFSA Submission Summary. This summary will show you the data you put on your FAFSA. You can check this to see if you did make a mistake. If you do find a mistake you need to correct you should use your FSA ID to log in and make a correction.
Will the FAFSA processing delay affect my scholarship and/or need based financial aid eligibility?
The FAFSA delay will not affect your merit scholarship or eligibility for any need based aid at Arcadia.
I logged into my studentaid.gov account and saw that my FAFSA is listed as Under Review, what does that mean?
Your FAFSA will be listed as under review until it is fully processed by the Department of Education, which we expect to happen in mid-March. Once your FAFSA is processed, you will receive an email with your FAFSA Submission Summary and it should no longer show as under review.
If you have additional questions, please connect with Holly Kirkpatrick, Assistant Vice President for Financial Aid & Enrollment Management or one of our financial aid advisors. We’re looking forward to working with you throughout this process to make it as easy as possible for you and your family.
FAFSA delay FAQs, Feb. 1, 2024
