2024-2025 FAFSA Updates

Attention: Recent Updates

Awarding Update:

As of May 2024, 2024-25 awarding has began and many students are being awarded in a timely on-going manner. You can see your award status in your UCDAccess portal. Award letters have been sent via email. If you have questions or concerns about your awards, please reach out to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.

At the end of April 2024, 2024-2025 FAFSA data was imported into our system. This triggered incomplete information to be populated in the student portal. Our team is currently working to review this information and provide updates as soon as possible. We will have updated information on financial aid awards in the next few weeks. Award letters will be sent through email once they have been finalized. If you have checklist items for the 24-25 award year you can submit those at this time. 

Timeline

DateItem Description
December 31, 2023The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2024-2025 year opens. Mark your calendar!
Mid-Summer 2024Financial Aid Award notices begin going out to students.

 

FAFSA Simplification

Due to the passing of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Act on December 27, 2020, as a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, the FAFSA is changing for the 2024-2025 aid year.

You can expect the following changes:

  • The 2024-2025 FAFSA will be available starting December 2023.
    • The 2024-2025 FAFSA determines your financial aid eligibility for the fall 2024, spring 2025, and summer 2025 terms.
  • The FAFSA application process will be streamlined and easier for students to complete.
  • New terminology will be added to the FAFSA.
  • Eligibility for federal financial aid will be expanded.

We will continue to update this page as additional information becomes available. You can learn more about the specific changes, timeline, and how to prepare below.

FAFSA Changes for 2024-2025

  • FAFSA completion date
    • Instead of opening in October, the 2024-2025 FAFSA will be available starting December 2023. This is only temporary for 2024. After the 2024-2025 aid year, the FAFSA will be available in October as usual.
  • Streamlined application process
    • The FAFSA will feature fewer questions, fewer requirements, and retrieve tax information using a direct data exchange from the IRS instead of the previous IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
  • New terminology and information
    • The need analysis formula to determine financial aid, formally known as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), will now be referred to as the Student Aid Index (SAI). The new formula removes the number of family members in college from the calculation, better reflects the FAFSA results, and implements a separate eligibility determination criteria for Federal Pell Grants.
    • The FAFSA is introducing the new term contributor, which refers to anyone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form, including the student, the student’s spouse, a biological or adopted parent, or the parent’s spouse. Being a contributor does not imply responsibility for the student's college costs. 
  • Expanding Pell Grant eligibility (undergraduate students only)
    • The adjustments to the new Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation will expand Federal Pell Grant eligibility to more students. 

FAFSA FAQs

Resources

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Located in Lynx Central

CU Denver

Student Commons Building

1201 Larimer Street

#1107

Denver, CO 80204


FinancialAid@ucdenver.edu

303-315-5969

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