2024-2025 FAFSA Updates

Federal Aid sites are currently experiencing technical difficulties. Our staff’s ability to assist you may be delayed or impacted due to the access required to offer assistance. Thank you for your patience.

Earlier this week, the Department of Education (DOE), provided updates related to previous issues students and families were experiencing related to their FAFSA completion. Those updates include:

Reprocessing of IRS Data Known Issues

Over the previous weekend, the DOE completed reprocessing FAFSA forms impacted by known issues (IRS FA-DDX, blank SAI) and as of May 1, began delivering the subsequent ISIR transactions to states and schools. At this time, the DOE believes that virtually all of the ISIRs that have been delivered are complete and accurate. You can learn more about the actions taken to reprocess impacted data here. At Charlotte, we are working diligently to package financial aid offers for the reprocessed data we have received. We encourage both new and continuing students to monitor their University emails for notifications from our Financial Aid team regarding their offer.

Access to the FAFSA Form for Individuals Without a Social Security Number

As of April 30, the DOE is temporarily allowing individuals without an SSN to enter and complete the 2024-25 FAFSA. Students and contributors without an SSN must continue to manually enter their tax information. Students without an SSN must verify their eligible noncitizen status through their school before they receive any federal funds. New users who request a StudentAid.gov account and cannot validate their identity using the knowledge-based questions (as generated by TransUnion) must still complete the manual process to validate their identity. However, they will not have to wait to have their identity validation completed before they can use their account username and password to access and complete the online 2024-25 FAFSA form. The DOE also encourages all users without an SSN to complete the identity validation process without delay, even after the student’s FAFSA form is submitted. You can learn more about next steps here.

Please note, the DOE continues to address known issues impacting student experiences as outlined in the Issue Alerts page and the Technical FAQ Known Issues Guide to continuously improve the 2024-25 FAFSA experience. As an institution, we are continuing to monitor updates provided by the DOE and will continue to summarize those here for members of Niner Nation.

We thank you for your patience as we have navigated the changes to the FAFSA for the upcoming 2024-2025 aid year. We are eager to share that financial aid offers will be available for students to view very soon. 

Our financial aid team is working diligently to package offers, as we understand that financial aid is a significant factor for our students and their families. Please note that offers will become available as packages are finalized, based on the data we have received from the Department of Education. We encourage students to monitor your University email address where you’ll be notified when you have an offer to review.

In preparation for this, we wanted to share some information and resources that we believe will help you to understand your financial aid offer. To view your offer when it is available, log in to MyCharlotte. We encourage you to review this information on receiving your aid and our understanding your financial aid offer resources. 

We understand paying for college is an important consideration for you and your family as you prepare for the upcoming year. If you we can assist you or answer any questions, please contact us.

The Department of Education recently resolved an issue that previously prevented some contributors without a Social Security number (SSN) from completing the FAFSA. If you previously experienced challenges inviting your contributor to your FAFSA due to this issue, we encourage you to revisit the application and complete it now by following these updated instructions.

UNC Charlotte is extending the intent to enroll deadline to May 15, 2024 for incoming first-year students enrolling in the Fall 2024. The prior deadline was May 1, 2024. The extension comes after the Department of Education changes to the 2024-2025 FAFSA resulted in continued delays of universities receiving financial aid data. 

“We understand that financial aid is a significant factor in determining where a student chooses to enroll,” said Sarah Humphries Nazionale, director of undergraduate admissions. “Extending the enrollment deadline to May 15 allows more time for the important conversations that we know students and families are having right now.”

Incoming first-year students can take advantage of the extended deadline by exploring Charlotte’s extensive offerings, admitted student events and connecting with our admissions counselors to ask any questions. Students ready to submit their intent to enroll are encouraged to do so in their Future 49er Portal. No enrollment deposit is required. 

“Charlotte is committed to supporting students and families throughout their college search process,” said Claire Kirby, associate provost for enrollment management. “By extending this deadline, we hope to reduce some of the stress associated with recent FAFSA delays, as our financial aid team works to provide offers to our Future 49ers.”

Students seeking more information about changes to the 2024-2025 FAFSA are encouraged to explore our 2024-2025 FAFSA Updates page and connect with us via upcoming events or virtual appointments.

“Each year, we are so impressed by the students who choose to apply and enroll at Charlotte, and this year is no exception,” said Humphries Nazionale. “We hope this extension allows our Future 49ers time to feel confident about all they will accomplish at this great university and learn even more about the supportive community that awaits them.” 

The Department of Education has been aware of the issue preventing students with contributors, such as parents and spouses, without a Social Security number (SSN) from successfully submitting their FAFSA application. As of Wednesday, March 13, the Department of Ed. has shared this issue will be resolved in the first half of March.

Currently, the Department of Ed. is encouraging students without a SSN, or students with contributors without a SSN, to move forward with entering their data manually. Students may still experience errors if the entered data does not match their studentaid.gov account information or if they have have sent multiple invitations to contributors.

As the Department of Ed. continues to resolve outstanding issues, they have created a listserv for students and families impacted by these issues to sign-up for regular updates on the FAFSA. You can sign up for that listserv by going to the listserv page or by sending an email to FAFSAContributorUpdates@ed.gov asking to be added to the list.

In an effort to continue providing our students and their families with ample support, as we navigate the 2024-25 FAFSA changes and impacts to our standard timelines, we are offering two upcoming webinars. Join us for 2024-25 FAFSA Help: What’s Changing on Wednesday, March 27 at 12:00 p.m. or Thursday, March 28 at 6:30 p.m.

During both events, a member of our Financial Aid team will provide an overview of what’s changing with the 2024-25 FAFSA, an update on anticipated impacts to our offer timelines and share resources for students and families as they prepare to receive their aid offers. Additionally, we will offer a Q&A time at the end of each webinar to answer your questions regarding the 2024-25 FAFSA.

Registration is required and you can register now for the time that works best for your calendar.

Unable to attend these events? Schedule a Virtual FAFSA Appointment with us.

As a reminder, the first priority deadline for FAFSA completion is Friday, March 1. If you submit your FAFSA by March 1, then we expect to receive your student aid data by mid-March. New students can anticipate receiving their aid offer in April, and continuing students can anticipate receiving their aid offer in May. 

If you are unable to file by March 1 but you submit your FAFSA by the second priority deadline of March 15, we anticipate receiving your FAFSA data sometime in late March or early April. Based on current guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, we expect resolutions to SSN-related submission issues before March 15. This second deadline allows more time for impacted students to submit their FAFSA . We will work as quickly as possible to process aid offers for new and continuing students according to the priority timeline. 

Please know we will be packaging aid offers on a rolling basis after the priority deadlines and that will not impact your eligibility for federal and state aid. 

We know that this year’s timeline is much more condensed than previous years and are working to ensure that you have the information you need to make informed decisions as soon as possible. If we can assist you any further, please contact us. 
Note: To ensure maximum consideration for NC state aid, students should submit the FAFSA by June 1.

Last week, the Department of Education provided an important update regarding the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that will impact our timeline for offering financial aid packages. The University previously anticipated receiving our first batch of FAFSA information at the beginning of February. Now, we anticipate receiving submitted applications by early to mid-March at the earliest. Because of this delay, financial aid offers for incoming students will not be available until April.

We understand paying for college is an important consideration for both new and continuing students. Also, we know that the 2024-2025 FAFSA changes have created confusion and frustration for many students and their families. Charlotte is working diligently to ensure that we provide as much information and as smooth a process as possible for your family through these significant changes. As more updates are available, we will send those to students and families via email and continue posting to this page.

Need help completing your 2024-2025 FAFSA? You’re invited to join us for FAFSA Day hosted by UNC Charlotte and NC State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) on Saturday, Jan. 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. You can learn more and sign up here.

We hope you are enjoying your winter break, however, we interrupt to share that the 2024-2025 FAFSA is now available for you to submit! To be eligible for financial aid next year, you will need to submit a FAFSA, we encourage you to complete it by March 1, 2024.

Please note, the Department of Education is experiencing some connectivity issues, but are working to address any issues quickly.

As previously shared, The U.S. Department of Education released that the improved FAFSA form will be available for students and parents by Dec. 31, 2023. 

As you and your family prepare to complete the FAFSA for the 2024-2025 aid year, here are a few things to consider. 

1. Create an FSA ID: We encourage you and your family to take the first step in getting ready to file your FAFSA by creating your FSA IDs. Everyone, regardless of whether they have a Social Security Number, will be required to have an FSA ID in order to access and submit the FAFSA.
2. Apply Early: To maximize your financial aid eligibility, it is important to submit your application as early as possible.
3. Help is Available: If you have any questions or need assistance with completing your FAFSA, Niner Central Specialists are available to help. As a reminder, the University is closed Dec. 22, 2023 – Jan. 1, 2024. Don’t hesitate to connect with us for guidance and support with your application in the new year.

Completing your FAFSA is a critical step in ensuring that you have access to financial resources you need to pursue your education. Remember, we are here to support you in your academic journey, including securing financial aid.

The U.S. Department of Education released new details on the redesigned and streamlined Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. The primary update is that the improved FAFSA form will be available for students and parents by Dec. 31, 2023. You can view the full update, “Update on the Simplified, Streamlined, Redesigned 2024-25 FAFSA” by visiting Federal Student Aid.

If you have questions about the information outlined in the announcement, you can submit them to the Department using the Contact Customer Support form in FSA’s Partner Connect Help Center. To submit a question, please enter your name, email address, topic, and question. When submitting a question related to this announcement, please select the topic “2024-25 FAFSA.”

The FAFSA is changing for the 2024-2025 aid year. As of now, we know there are major changes and improvements coming to the 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Here’s what we know:

• There are six key changes coming to the 2024-25 FAFSA:
  • Spouses or stepparents may need to participate as a contributor.
  • Federal tax information will be transferred directly from the IRS into the form. 
  • Consent and approval for the transfer of federal tax information are required to be eligible for federal student aid. 
  • Everyone must have their own StudentAid.gov account, these accounts can be created ahead of completing the FAFSA. 
  • You can view more details about the status of your FAFSA
  • Upon completion of your FAFSA, your information can be sent to up to 20 colleges, career schools or trade schools. 

• As a result of the FAFSA Simplification Act passed by Congress, the Department of Education has been working on a significant overhaul of the FAFSA for the 2024-2025 aid year.
  • This legislation focused on four primary changes: (1) moving from Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to the Student Aid Index (SAI), (2) updating family definitions, (3) expanding access to Pell Grants and (4) streamlining the application.
• Changes to the application resulted in a delayed opening of the 2024-2025 FAFSA. This opened on Dec. 31, 2023 for students and families.
  • Context: Since 2016, the FAFSA has been available to students and families starting Oct. 1. 
• Application changes are also causing delays in colleges and universities receiving submitted student FAFSAs. These are now expected in early- to mid-March 2024.

Federal Student Aid (FSA) is logging and addressing known issues with the form. Current known issues can be found here.

• UNC Charlotte’s priority deadline is Friday, March 1, 2024. This is the same deadline for new and continuing students.
• The priority deadline encourages you to submit a complete application in order to receive their financial aid offer in a timely manner. 
• Charlotte knows that some students are experiencing challenges with submitting the form, and we encourage them to submit as soon as they are able. We will work with students to review their information as soon as it is available to ensure they have aid offers/packages in a timely manner.

• If you are affected by this known issue, we encourage you to submit as soon as you are able. UNC Charlotte recognizes the extraordinary circumstances of this year’s FAFSA process.
• As of Wednesday, March 13, the Department of Ed. has shared this issue will be resolved in the first half of March.
  • Currently, the Department of Ed. is encouraging students without a SSN, or students with contributors without a SSN, to move forward with entering their data manually.
  • Students may still experience errors if the entered data does not match their studentaid.gov account information or if they have have sent multiple invitations to contributors.
• As the Department of Ed. continues to resolve outstanding issues, they have created a listserv for students and families impacted by these issues to sign-up for regular updates on the FAFSA. You can sign up for that listserv by going to the listserv page or by sending an email to FAFSAContributorUpdates@ed.gov asking to be added to the list.

• The Department of Education notified colleges and universities that they anticipate FAFSA data to be available in early- to mid-March 2024.
  • This timeline change was communicated to campuses at the end of January 2024.
  • During the launch of the 2024-2025 FAFSA in December, campuses were told to originally expect the first round of applications at the start of February. This did not happen, and the timeline was delayed.

• Online Resources
  • Federal Student Aid (FSA) provides many online resources to help students and families navigate the new FAFSA process.
    • FAFSA Pro Tips is an online resource guide that provides in-depth information on submitting the form.
    • FSA’s YouTube channel provides short informational videos on each step of the process for students and families.
    • FSA has offered webinars for students and families on different topics related to FAFSA:
      • 2024-25 FAFSA Contributor Prep (December 2023 recording)
      • Understanding the New FAFSA Submission Summary (February 2024 recording)
  • UNC Charlotte developed many resources for students and families as well.
    • Niner Central
      • 2024-2025 FAFSA Updates
      • Financial Aid Basics
    • 49er Family Hub (links to posts below)
      • 2024-25 FAFSA Soft Launch Details and Timelines
      • The 2024-25 FAFSA Application is Now Available!
      • Helping Your Student Complete Their FAFSA
      • FAFSA Update (Video)
      • 2024-25 FAFSA Resources
• Virtual Assistance
  • Niner Central offers Virtual FAFSA Assistance appointments. You must register for these using your NinerNET Google account. 
  • You can directly access the appointment calendar here.

• New students who submit their complete application by March 1 (priority deadline) can anticipate receiving their financial aid offer in April.
• Continuing students who submit their complete application by March 1 (priority deadline) can anticipate receiving their financial aid offer in May.
• Some students’ applications may have additional requirements, such as needed corrections or being selected for verification, before being considered complete. These requirements may affect the offer availability timeline.

Monitor the FSA website for first-hand information and updates regarding the 2024-25 FAFSA.

Federal Student Aid (FSA) YouTube

• Check out the 2024–25 FAFSA FAQ Video playlist that will share details about what the FAFSA is, changes which are coming to the 2024-25 application, and details regarding FAFSA contributors.
• This channel also includes explanation videos that share insights into informed borrowing and student loans.

FSA Outreach YouTube

• For students, check out this Financial Aid Bootcamp playlist for details on how to prepare for the 2024-25 FAFSA and view a prototype of the application. Additional videos are expected to be added soon.
• For parents and families, check out this Financial Aid Bootcamp playlist for details on how to you as a contributor can prepare for the 2024-25 FAFSA and view a prototype of your portion of the application. Additional videos are expected to be added soon.

NASFAA is pleased to offer its explainer document on how to obtain an FSA ID for individuals without a Social Security Number (SSN) in Spanish. Please note, the explainer is based on the most recent information from the Department of Education.

Did you fill out a FAFSA form for 2023–24?

• Log in to your StudentAid.gov account and be sure we’ve got your current email address.

Didn’t submit a 2023–24 FAFSA form?

• Make sure to create your StudentAid.gov account—and remember your username and password so you can access and submit the 2024–25 FAFSA form when it is available.

You can also follow Federal Student Aid (FSA) on social media for announcements and resources.

Questions about the information outlined on the FSA website can be submitted to the Department of Education using the Contact Customer Support form in FSA’s Partner Connect Help Center. To submit a question, please enter your name, email address, topic, and question. When submitting a question related to this announcement, please select the topic “2024-25 FAFSA.”