2024-25 FAFSA Fast News

Dear Colleagues,

This week, I joined the Federal Student Aid (FSA) team, financial aid professionals, state officials, vendors, and others at the annual conference of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We always find this conference to be a valuable opportunity to share information back and forth with the professionals in the field.

We also welcome to FSA two education leaders with deep experience who will play crucial roles in making the 2025–26 FAFSA^® form available this fall: Denise Carter and Jeremy Singer.

Last month, Denise joined FSA as the principal deputy chief operating officer. She is putting her three decades of management and organizational experience to work strengthening the foundation of FSA projects and programs. She is already focused on the delivery of the 2025–26 FAFSA form, and she is also engaged in the broader project of making process improvements to ensure that FSA has the resources necessary to serve students, families, schools, and all our partners most effectively.

Jeremy Singer is now serving as FSA’s FAFSA executive advisor. In this role, he will lead overall strategy and accelerate technology innovation to further enhance FSA’s technical and operational capabilities. He will be working closely with the Department’s leadership and FAFSA implementation team on FSA’s overall strategy to strengthen internal systems and processes, bolster technical capabilities, and drive innovation to help ensure optimal performance leading to the launch of the 2025–26 FAFSA form. Jeremy is joining the Department on temporary leave from his role as president of College Board, where he successfully led the development and introduction of major technology innovations in education. He will leverage his experience to maintain FSA’s focus on ensuring that every student is able to access the maximum financial aid possible to reach their higher education goals.

We will keep you updated about additional developments.

Thank you for your continued partnership,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

All the focused attention on FAFSA^® completion across the country is paying off as we continue to close the gap on FAFSA submissions compared to the 2023–24 application cycle. As of this week, students have submitted 9.4% fewer applications compared to the same time last year. More than 10.8 million 2024–25 FAFSA forms have now been submitted, and they are consistently being processed within 1 to 3 days of submission. Thank you for your continued efforts to remind students and parents to complete and submit their 2024–25 FAFSA form to get the financial assistance they need to achieve their higher education dreams.

The Department continues to email new and returning students, as well as contributors who started a 2024–25 FAFSA form but have not yet submitted their application. We are telling them how to access their forms and where to go if they have questions, and we encourage each of them to fill out and submit the FAFSA form as soon as possible.

This week, we updated schools about the status of our work on the reprocessing of 2024–25 FAFSA records. A June 6 Electronic Announcement (EA) describes the reprocessed records that schools are now receiving, how to identify those records, and the primary reasons for reprocessing. The EA also notes that we have successfully processed over 1.8 million FAFSA corrections.

Thank you for your continued partnership to benefit students and their families. We appreciate all your good work here.

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

In the Department’s continued efforts to support schools, states, and financial aid professionals, we recently published guidance and updates related to the 2024–25 FAFSA® form.

Since the Student Support Strategy launched on May 6, more than 65 organizations have received funds through the partnership with ECMC and are already putting this funding to work to increase FAFSA submissions. Projects include granting stipends to school counselors to host FAFSA completion events, launching mobile FAFSA clinics, and providing one-on-one support during FAFSA office hours. All grantees are focused on ensuring that students and families successfully submit the 2024–25 FAFSA form. To complement college support, the Department created the FAFSA Student Support Strategy to increase the number of students completing FAFSA forms and enrolling in college, particularly first-time college students and students of color.

In a May 17 Electronic Announcement (EA), we provided a summary about reprocessed 2024–25 FAFSA records. The May 17 EA also provided an update about blank Student Aid Index and verification tracking flags and noted how to identify reprocessed Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs).

A May 23 EA informed schools about guidance for deadlines to report and reconcile requests for a determination of independence, including unaccompanied homeless youth, youth at-risk of homelessness, and students with unusual circumstances for the 2024–25 award year. This EA also noted a display issue for response values on ISIRs for the ward of the court and foster youth questions.

The Department updated high school FAFSA submission rates by state and high school- and district-level data by state or territory about completed (i.e., processed) 2024–25 FAFSA forms. We publish this information weekly to support FAFSA completion initiatives by schools, states, and other organizations.

We are grateful for the widespread efforts focused on FAFSA submissions.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

We are encouraged by the efforts of the higher education community, K-12 leaders, community-based and college access organizations, and local and state leaders on driving FAFSA^® submissions. There is real momentum as we work together to help our students receive the support they need to complete and submit the FAFSA form on a tight timeframe – many of whom are also in the midst of graduation season and students preparing for summer activities.

To bolster this nationwide effort, the Department recently announced the next phase of the FAFSA support strategy with up to $50 million to help school districts, states, nonprofits, and other state and grassroots organizations boost FAFSA completion. The program will support organizations with demonstrated experience expanding college access and enrollment, and funds can be used for FAFSA submission clinics, surge capacity, outreach efforts, and more. Eligible entities can apply for funds here.

Colleges and universities have been critical partners in increasing FAFSA submissions in the last few months, leading additional campaigns to ensure students can access the maximum aid possible. For example:

We encourage all institutions to reach out to admitted and returning students to encourage them to complete their FAFSA form.

Governors and mayors across the nation are doubling down on the importance of this moment.

K-12 district leaders are also taking action to support high school seniors reach their higher education goals, with the support of the Department.

Community-based and college access organizations rapidly mobilized to provide direct support to students and families.

Additionally, the Department has a wealth of tools to support FAFSA completion, including student and family-facing resources that can be used in school-related events, such as sports banquets, award nights, and college access events. Schools can also access tools to host their own events in the final weeks of school to help students and families navigate the FAFSA form.

As of today, more than 9.7 million FAFSA forms have been submitted for the 2024–25 award year, with applications being processed within 1-3 days of submission. Through these collective efforts described above, we’ve closed the submission gap by nearly 65% over the last two months. And, according to our surveys and feedback from partners, nearly 90% of nonprofit and four-year institutions are packaging and sending out aid offers to students, helping more students pursue their higher education goals.

We are seeing tremendous progress through the efforts of schools, institutions, communities, state and local partners, and families and organizations across the country committed to helping more students access higher education. We look forward to our continued partnership and work with our partners as we remain focused on making sure as many students as possible can access the maximum financial aid they are entitled to.

Our goal continues to be to help students get all the help they need to pay for college. Our collective efforts are working, the submission gap is closing, and we stand ready to support you.

Thanks,

Cindy Marten
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education

Dear Colleagues:

The Department today provided an important update about the timeline to process 2024–25 paper FAFSA® forms and school-initiated corrections. Historically, these institutional corrections impact a small subset of applicants, and paper applications represent less than .5% of 2024–25 FAFSA forms. We also believe some paper forms have also been submitted online, as the Department has encouraged all students to submit their forms on StudentAid.gov for their applications to be processed within one to three days to allow for institutions to prepare aid offers quickly.

Also, as previously announced, the Department is reducing the verification rate for this year’s submission. In an Electronic Announcement (EA) published today, we also describe changes we are making to provide earlier access to Pell Grant funds for the lowest-income applicants. Those changes are being made to the process for reporting disbursement information to the Common Origination and Disbursement System for the 2024–25 award year, including the availability of an initial Current Funding Level for the Pell Grant Program. This will allow schools to provide Pell Grant and other financial resources to students before schools can submit institutional corrections.

We are keeping financial aid professionals up to date as new resources and tools become available. We just updated our April 30 EA about access to the 2024–25 FAFSA form for individuals without a Social Security number (SSN) by adding step-by-step guidance that applicants and contributors without an SSN can follow to access the online form. A related Better FAFSA webinar—recorded on May 3—can be viewed on the FSA Training Center under the “FAFSA Simplification” track.

We are also finding ways to offer more support for students and families. Much like the Department’s College Support Strategy, on May 6, the Department announced a multi-million-dollar FAFSA Student Support Strategy to help school districts, states, nonprofits, and other public and private organizations boost FAFSA completion efforts. The Student Support Strategy application is available for schools and organizations to access funds to help increase FAFSA submissions.

Our top priority remains ensuring students and families have the resources they need to complete the FAFSA form and receive aid offers as quickly as possible. We will continue to provide updates on a regular basis.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

In our ongoing efforts to support financial aid professionals, today at 3:00 p.m. EDT, we will host another Better FAFSA® webinar to walk through this week’s guidance and resources. Attendees do not need to register for the event, and the recording will be available on the FSA Training Center the following business day under the “FAFSA Simplification” track.

This week, we shared important updates for schools, states, and other entities directly involved in delivering financial aid. In an April 29 Electronic Announcement we shared that we have completed reprocessing those FAFSA forms affected by known issues with tax data. In an April 30 Electronic Announcement, we described changes in our systems to streamline the process so applicants and contributors without a Social Security number can access the 2024–25 FAFSA form.

We remained active in our outreach this week with more direct communications to students and contributors who need to make a correction to their 2024–25 FAFSA form. As schools and other partners conduct their own outreach, we ask that they remind students and families that FAFSA corrections should only take a few minutes to complete. To support outreach efforts, the Department created videos in English and Spanish to walk students and contributors through the process to make corrections to a FAFSA form. Those resources are available on the Department’s YouTube channel, and are pasted below for your quick reference:

We are grateful for our strong partnerships with you through this FAFSA cycle. Our collective efforts are helping students unlock the financial assistance they need to pursue their higher education dreams.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

The Department has now delivered reprocessed Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) to schools and states for nearly all 2024–25 FAFSA^® forms affected by both the known FAFSA Processing System (FPS) and tax data issues. With these records in hand, schools should be able to package aid offers, including those that had chosen to wait for all reprocessed records before moving forward. An Electronic Announcement posted earlier today describes what is included in the reprocessed records, how to identify them, and the reprocessing codes and categories.

This week, the Department also will continue to email students and contributors who still need to make a correction to a 2024–25 FAFSA form, as well as to those who started a form, but did not yet submit it. The Department recently launched two videos—one for students and one for contributors—that guide applicants and their families through the process to make corrections and submit the FAFSA form.

We encourage schools and states to continue their outreach to students to urge them to make corrections and submit a FAFSA form, including students who already have been admitted, but have not yet submitted a financial aid application.

The Department remains committed to supporting schools, states, vendors, and other partners throughout this FAFSA cycle. As schools and states receive student records and package aid offers, the Department continues to provide issue-specific support:

Thank you for all your ongoing efforts on behalf of students and their families,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

This week, we successfully implemented Common Origination and Disbursement System functionality to support campus-based programs and schools’ ability to process Federal Pell Grants, TEACH Grants, and Direct Loans for the 2024–25 award year. An April 17 Electronic Announcement provides schools with specific guidance about how to manage these records.

Collective FAFSA^® outreach efforts by schools, states, college access organizations, the Department, and others continue to drive results. To date, we have received nearly 8.2 million FAFSA forms and have processed almost all of them. We also are nearly complete on the work of reprocessing forms with known errors through the FAFSA Processing System. Finally, we remain on track to reprocess forms affected by tax discrepancies and begin sending them to schools by May 1.

To provide you with ongoing support as transparently as we can, we continue to update the “FAFSA Status” section on the 2024–25 FAFSA updates page on FSA’s Knowledge Center. The biweekly updates include data about forms submitted and processed to date.

The Department continues to post high school FAFSA submission rates by state, which were last updated on April 15. In addition, the Department posts high-school-level and district-level data by state or territory about completed (i.e., processed) 2024–25 FAFSA forms on a weekly basis. This data allows school districts to gauge their performance against neighboring districts and other districts within their state. The data also enables states and other organizations to target support to districts that need it most as they encourage students to complete a 2024–25 FAFSA form.

We are committed to working collaboratively toward the shared goal of helping schools and states package aid as quickly as possible.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

We are working to provide you with the support and resources you need as we navigate this FAFSA^® season. As a reminder, we have a great number of FAFSA-related resources and tools now available for your use. Our weekly Better FAFSA webinars, which are tailored both for schools and for those directly involved in delivering financial aid, have been recorded and can be viewed on the FSA Training Center. Other video resources for students and families can be accessed on the FSA Outreach YouTube channel, including a recent webinar we conducted in Spanish with English subtitles.

Thank you for your feedback and suggestions. When we started these daily communications and weekly webinars, they were intended to respond to your concerns and questions. We remain committed to getting you the timely information you need and encourage you to continue reaching out to us.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

As we continue our direct outreach to students who need to make a correction to submit their 2024–25 FAFSA^® form, we ask schools for their continued support to remind students and families who need to make a correction to update their form. FAFSA corrections should only take a few minutes to complete. To get started, students and contributors can simply go to their StudentAid.gov account and select the form that notes an “Action Required” under “My Activity.” Some of the most common corrections include signing the form or providing consent and approval to access and use federal tax data.

Already, our mutual outreach efforts have generated more than 8 million FAFSA submissions. We know time is of the essence, and we are providing you with up-to-date FAFSA resources and tools for your use.

Your outreach activity is clearly making a difference, and we greatly appreciate your efforts to ensure students and families get the financial aid they need to pursue their higher education goals.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

In our ongoing efforts to support schools and states through this FAFSA^® cycle, we continue to reprocess remaining applications that were affected by known issues with FAFSA Processing System data, and that work is now progressing fairly quickly. We thank schools for all the steps they are taking to package aid and generate offer letters to students. The Department also remains on track to reprocess forms affected by tax data issues and begin sending those reprocessed records to schools by May 1 to enable schools to make additional aid offers.

In February, Secretary Cardona announced the FAFSA College Support Strategy to support under-resourced schools, stand up a concierge service, and provide ongoing assistance during this FAFSA cycle. As part of this strategy, we reached out to schools to understand what additional support they need and communicate about available resources and tools. Through these conversations and additional feedback from the community, we have learned that hundreds of schools are already making aid offers to students, including the majority of those with May 1 decision deadlines. Other schools are giving students more time to make decisions on a case-by-case basis.

We are grateful for all that schools and states are doing to ensure that students and families have the financial aid they need for the upcoming academic year. We will continue our work to support those efforts to process ISIRs and get aid offers to students as quickly as possible.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

Today wraps up the Department’s national FAFSA^® Week of Action campaign to encourage more students and families to complete and submit the Better FAFSA form. With your support and our combined outreach efforts, to date, more than 7.8 million FAFSA forms have been successfully submitted. We know much work still lies ahead, and we remain committed to continuing to support you with timely information you need to get aid into the hands of students and families. Today, we will send district-level FAFSA submission data to governors’ offices so they can identify which districts have the biggest gaps in submissions and plan accordingly. We will also share resources about tools and best practices for state leaders to leverage in their conversations with stakeholders.

On April 15 and April 17 we published two Electronic Announcements (EAs) that provide key information about student corrections, our work to reprocess FAFSA records, and processing of campus-based aid for the 2024–25 award year. This week, our Better FAFSA webinar had FSA experts answering questions from financial aid administrators, vendors, state agencies, and others directly involved in delivering financial aid; the recording is now available on the FSA Training Center.

Also this week, we hosted a webinar in Spanish for students, their families, and organizations that support Spanish-speaking communities. Our team outlined the process to complete and submit the 2024–25 FAFSA form. The recording, which includes English subtitles, is available now on the FSA Outreach YouTube channel.

Another way we are supporting students and families is by answering their questions—among other items—about the FAFSA form via the Federal Student Aid Information Center (known as FSAIC) at 1-800-4-FED-AID. The FSAIC team has received calls from students asking for help making corrections to their FAFSA form. Regrettably, FSAIC agents cannot make corrections to FAFSA information or issue a duplicate paper FAFSA Submission Summary by mail.

We recognize students are eager to make corrections, and this functionality is now available. We are contacting students and contributors directly who need to return to their FAFSA form to make a correction. Other students may wish to make corrections by adding more schools to their forms. Thank you in advance for your help reminding students and contributors to return to StudentAid.gov/FAFSA to update their forms, including adding schools, signing, or consenting for tax data to be shared. Most corrections should only take a few minutes to complete, and they will be processed one to three days after submission.

We know this FAFSA cycle has been challenging for everyone. We are grateful for your candid feedback to help us identify and resolve issues, provide the support you need, and deliver for students and their families.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

We will host our weekly Better FAFSA^® webinar from 1–2 p.m. Eastern time today, a day earlier than our usual Friday sessions. You will have an opportunity to get your questions answered about the 2024–25 FAFSA cycle. As always, no prior registration is required, and the session will be recorded and available the next business day on the FSA Training Center.

Yesterday, the Department began reprocessing FAFSA forms affected by known issues with FAFSA Processing System data. This work affects a small portion of applications and will generate subsequent Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) transactions that we will deliver to schools and states. In an April 17 Electronic Announcement (EA), the Department provided detailed information about the reprocessed records.

The April 17 EA also laid out our timeline to reprocess FAFSA forms affected by tax data issues. We are targeting to reprocess these records and begin sending them to schools by May 1. In addition, the EA noted our plan to implement Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System functionality to support campus-based programs and schools’ ability to process Federal Pell Grants, TEACH Grants, and Direct Loans for the 2024–25 award year. We remind schools that during the reprocessing period, they should only create origination and disbursement records in the COD System that correspond to the ISIR transactions the school will use to disburse aid to the student.

Thank you for all you continue to do to support students in pursuing their higher education dreams to secure a brighter future for themselves and for our country. I will be back tomorrow with a recap of this week’s updates and announcements.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

Now that students and contributors can make corrections to their 2024–25 FAFSA^® forms, as previously noted, we are reaching out to students to inform them of that functionality and to prompt them to consider whether they need to make any corrections. We continue to appreciate the energetic efforts that schools are making. We strongly encourage schools to contact students whose records indicate one or more rejection codes and urge them to submit a correction as soon as possible to receive their financial aid offer. Corrections typically can be made in just a few minutes. We ask that schools and states help us remind students they should return to StudentAid.gov/FAFSA to update their applications, including adding schools, signing, or consenting for tax data to be shared.

The Department continues to process corrections. Within one to three days of an applicant submitting a correction, schools and states typically should receive a new Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) transaction and students should be able to review their updated FAFSA Submission Summary.

We will host this week’s Better FAFSA training webinar one day earlier—on Thursday, April 18 from 1–2 p.m. Eastern time. Financial aid administrators, vendors, state agencies, and others directly involved in delivering financial aid are invited to join Federal Student Aid staff to get answers to their questions about the 2024–25 FAFSA form. As a reminder, you do not need to register for the event, and it will be recorded and available on the FSA Training Center the next business day.

We are committed to supporting students as they navigate corrections and submit their FAFSA forms.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

As we announced last week, students and their contributors can now make corrections to change or add to their 2024–25 FAFSA forms, including adding schools, signing, or consenting for Internal Revenue Service data to be shared. We already have successfully processed more than 100,000 corrections. To help students and their contributors make the most common FAFSA corrections, we updated information on StudentAid.gov. Starting this week and throughout the month, we will follow up with students directly by email if they need to make a correction to successfully submit the 2024–25 FAFSA form.

In an April 15 Electronic Announcement (EA), we explained that, within one to three days of an applicant submitting a correction, schools and states typically should receive a new Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) transaction and students should be able to review their updated FAFSA Submission Summary. We will continue to update the Issue Alerts page on the Knowledge Center as we identify and resolve any issues.

We also confirmed that this week, the Department expects to reprocess the estimated 10% of records affected by FAFSA Processing System known issues. As shared previously, we are targeting May 1 to reprocess the estimated 20% of records that were affected by inconsistent tax data. We strongly urge schools, states, and organizations directly involved in delivering aid to review the April 15 EA for more detailed information about our reprocessing timelines and the resources available to assist schools, states, and others.

The Department’s FAFSA Week of Action got off to a busy start yesterday, with numerous events happening across the country. Read more about our outreach efforts here.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

Today kicks off the Department’s National FAFSA^® Week of Action and the #FAFSAFastBreak national campaign. Together, let’s make big strides in getting more students to join the more than 7.5 million who have already submitted a 2024–25 FAFSA form. Our communications toolkit is a helpful resource for anyone supporting students and their families during this FAFSA cycle. You can also use #FAFSAFastBreak on social media to tell us about activities and events happening in your area.

As state deadlines near, please consider increasing public outreach, videos, and collaborative events that reach students and families. Today is the state financial aid deadline in states like Texas, while other states—like California on May 2—have deadlines approaching in less than three weeks.

At 8 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, April 17, the Department will host a webinar, “How to Submit the 2024-25 FAFSA Form,” with both English and Spanish subtitles. This webinar is intended for students, parents, FAFSA contributors, and all of the counselors, mentors, and college access professionals who support students and their families. Registration is simple, and the webinar recording will be conveniently available thereafter on the FSA Outreach YouTube channel.

Last week, the Department provided some detailed information about the timelines for reprocessing Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) affected by known errors and related options for schools and states. In the coming days, we expect to update schools about this crucial part of the FAFSA process. We also expect to make FAFSA corrections widely available early this week. We will update StudentAid.gov with detailed information for students and their contributors about how to make the most common corrections, and we will email students and contributors who need to return to their 2024-25 FAFSA form to take an action, such as signing the form. We are eager to help schools continue to package aid to students as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

In partnership with you, we have now delivered information to schools and states for nearly 7.3 million 2024–25 FAFSA^® forms, and we have returned to normal processing times of 1 to 3 days after a FAFSA form is submitted.

This week, we provided updates about the timeline to reprocess forms affected by errors and alerted institutional partners that we are in the final phase of testing 2024–25 FAFSA form corrections. We explained that, thus far, students and their contributors may be able to make corrections for very brief periods and may experience issues during the final testing period. Anyone who is unable to make corrections during the final testing period should return to their form early next week when the Department expects to have corrections widely available.

Earlier this week, Secretary Cardona sent a letter to leadership at all schools to update them directly about recent steps to provide support as they navigate the new FAFSA process.

This week, we also delivered information to schools to support their analysis of affected Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) and issued guidance about the treatment of affected ISIRs. In addition, we contacted millions of students and their parents who completed a 2023–24 FAFSA form, but have not yet completed a 2024–25 application, encouraging them to do so.

Today at 3 p.m. ET, we will host our weekly FAFSA webinar for financial aid professionals. We will walk through this week’s guidance, resources, and other information, including the school- or state-specific data files delivered this week to help schools and states identify additional FAFSA records for which they can package aid. We will also address common correction scenarios. Our goal is to provide more specific information and help you get answers to your questions. Attendees do not need to register for the event, and the recording will be available on the FSA Training Center under the “FAFSA Simplification” track the following business day.

Starting on Monday, April 15, the Department is launching its National FAFSA Week of Action and our #FAFSAFastBreak national campaign. Our communications toolkit is designed to help counselors, mentors, state and local officials, college access professionals, and others to encourage students and families to submit the 2024–25 FAFSA form. Please use #FAFSAFastBreak on social media to share your success stories and tell us about activities and events. We are committed to working together with you to drive more FAFSA completion.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

Thank you for following this week’s FAFSA^® updates. We understand how important it is for schools to receive timely information in a way that is both clear and actionable, and how much of a challenge this poses for us all. We will continue to provide schools with tools and resources to help them through the 2024–25 FAFSA cycle.

Through an Electronic Announcement (EA) today, we provided guidance for schools about making aid awards using Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) affected by the processing errors and tax data inconsistencies we discussed in April 1 and April 4 Electronic Announcements and previous blog posts. In today’s communication, we highlight the Department’s guidance that packaging aid offers will not lead to compliance concerns or program reviews.

Yesterday, we provided guidance through an EA about the school- or state-specific data files that the Department delivered via Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) mailboxes this week. Each record includes information about FAFSA records that will be reprocessed and the reason, which will assist schools and states to further identify additional FAFSA records for which they can go ahead and package aid.

As a reminder: As we work to reprocess these affected records in the coming weeks, schools and states may use their judgment to rely on the original ISIR they received—not the reprocessed record—if the original ISIR results in greater financial aid eligibility for students. If the reprocessed ISIR results in greater financial aid, schools may make estimated offers now, but must use the reprocessed record for final offers and disbursing funds. Using original ISIRs, as described in today’s EA, will not, on its own, lead to compliance concerns or program reviews.

This evening, the Department will continue direct outreach to students and families—as well as college access professionals and others who assist Spanish-speaking communities—by supporting the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics during a FAFSA-related webinar in Spanish. The webinar will begin at 7 p.m. ET and will include a walk-through of the process to submit a 2024–25 FAFSA form. Please encourage students, families, and others to register to attend. It will be recorded and posted on the Department’s Live Events & Webinars YouTube page for those who want to review it later.

On Friday, we will host another weekly Better FAFSA training webinar for financial aid administrators, vendors, state agencies, and other entities directly involved in delivering federal student aid. Tomorrow’s 3–4 p.m. ET webinar will recap this week’s guidance, resources, and other information and walk through the Universally Unique Identification Numbers lists that schools received this week, along with addressing common FAFSA correction scenarios. You do not need to register for the event, and it will be recorded and available on the FSA Training Center the next business day.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

The Department has now delivered information to schools and states for more than 7 million 2024-25 FAFSA^® forms, and we are processing new FAFSA forms as we receive them. Please continue to share your questions and experiences with us. We are constantly updating our frequently asked questions and known issues on the Knowledge Center to help you package aid as quickly as possible.

We know students and parents are eager to be able to make FAFSA corrections. We are in the final phases of testing to make student-initiated corrections widely available by early next week. Students will be able to make corrections on StudentAid.gov, and the entire process should only take a few minutes for most applicants.

Yesterday, the Department published an Electronic Announcement (EA) that included information about the timelines for reprocessing Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs). Last week, we provided you with information about records that require corrected tax information from the IRS, which we now are aiming to reprocess by May 1. We expect to reprocess the records with other known issues next week. We will continue to update you about our plans for reprocessing as we have more to say. To allow you to move forward more quickly, we have also clarified that schools and states can use their judgment and rely on the original ISIR—not the reprocessed record—if the original ISIR results in greater financial aid eligibility for students.

Today, we will send schools more information to their Student Aid Internet Gateway mailbox to support the analysis of affected ISIRs. The information includes school- or state-specific details to help you identify more records for which you can start packaging aid. In the coming days, we will provide you with further information about how schools and states can treat ISIRs affected by errors when making financial aid offers.

In addition, Secretary Cardona just sent a letter to college presidents, chancellors, and financial aid directors about recent steps to provide support in helping you navigate the new FAFSA process.

Thank you for working with us as we continue to address the major challenge of streamlining the FAFSA form and overhauling the FAFSA process.

We’ll be back tomorrow morning with another update.

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

This week and next, the Department will engage in a great deal of direct outreach to students, parents, and FAFSA^® partners to drive more people to complete and submit the 2024-25 FAFSA form to qualify for federal student aid.

Yesterday, we began contacting millions of students and their parents who completed a 2023-24 FAFSA form but have not yet completed a 2024-25 application. We are letting them know that the 2024-25 FAFSA form is available and encouraging them to complete it. We also are providing links to helpful resources, including the page on StudentAid.gov where they can find their state deadline, user-friendly FAFSA videos and infographics, and a checklist to help them understand what they need to complete the form.

Starting next Monday—April 15—the Department will take further steps to drive FAFSA completion across the country. In our national engagement and outreach push, we are working closely with governors, superintendents, principals, counselors, and other key partners to ask them to host “FAFSA Nights” and other completion events aimed at helping students access the maximum financial aid possible. We urge you to encourage students and parents in your area to participate in local events and follow along on social media. To learn more about our enrollment efforts and how to participate, please contact shital.c.shah@ed.gov.

Later today, we will also provide updated information to schools and state agencies about what they can expect for student corrections and reprocessing of those records affected by processing errors or tax data discrepancies. In another day or two, we will send lists of the students whose records are affected by any errors or discrepancies, along with more details about processing their records. We will continue to post key information that schools need on the Knowledge Center.

We thank you for your partnership and your commitment to the federal student aid process.

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

Thank you for your interest as we provide updates about the 2024–25 FAFSA® form. Together with our partners, we are pressing very hard to make higher education a reality for more students. We are continuing to push through various issues to enable colleges to process aid packages. We are helping every college that has requested our help, and we will maintain our efforts to share information through this blog and our Knowledge Center.

As of April 8, more than 7 million Better FAFSA forms have been submitted. They are being processed as they come in, and all the information we receive is typically sent to colleges and universities within one to three business days.

We have addressed the tax data discrepancies and other previously identified issues with the FAFSA form, which means that the forms being submitted now will not be affected by those issues. As we stated last week, we will reprocess the FAFSA forms submitted previously that were affected by the tax data discrepancies and other identified issues. More information about that process will be outlined soon.

As of Friday, schools and states now have lists that identify which records are affected by these issues and which records are unaffected by these issues. We provided these lists in order to allow schools and states to begin to package aid offers, since the majority of applicants have records that are unaffected by any of these issues. In the coming days, we will send more information and data to assist schools and states with analyzing affected records.

Today, the Department will release guidance that outlines how state grant agencies can use FAFSA data to support students completing FAFSA forms. State grant agencies are permitted to disclose FAFSA Filing Status Information to secondary schools and local education agencies. The guidance provides information about steps that states can take to disclose this information to eligible nonprofit college access organizations, including TRIO and GEAR-UP grantees. We know this information sharing is an important tool that high schools and college access organizations use to support FAFSA completion efforts.

Today’s guidance also includes information about how state grant agencies can engage in outreach using FAFSA data, such as Student Aid Index and Pell Grant status, to communicate with students about specific means-tested benefit programs, such as SNAP, for which they may be eligible.

All of us at the Department deeply appreciate the work you are doing to help students use the Better FAFSA form to create a better future.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

Thank you for following along with us this week as we provided daily updates about the 2024–25 FAFSA® form. We appreciate your work to ensure students can pursue their higher education goals. We intend to do everything in our power to support you with the tools and resources you need.

This week, the Department

Our goal is to help schools move as quickly as possible to package aid offers for students. We are in the process of sending password-protected files to schools, so they know which records are unaffected and which are affected. This will enable schools to package aid offers for the majority of applicants.

As we said yesterday, based on feedback from schools, we will be reprocessing all affected records and allowing schools to choose whether to use the original or updated record for packaging aid offers.

To continue our school support efforts, at 3 p.m. ET today, we will hold our weekly FAFSA webinar for the higher education community. Today’s topic will present answers to the most common technical questions we have received to date from schools, software developers, and states. Again, you do not need to register for the event, which will be recorded and made available on the FSA Training Center under the “FAFSA Simplification” track the following business day.

Let me again express our deep appreciation for all your work to help students access the financial aid they deserve to continue their education beyond high school. We are using multiple channels, including blogs, Electronic Announcements, webinars, and our College Support Strategy, to provide you with FAFSA information and resources.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

We remain committed to providing you with the latest information you need from the Department and FSA to bring higher education in reach for more students and families. As such, we have been providing timely 2024–25 FAFSA^® updates through this blog and other information posted on our one-stop shop for policy and guidance.

Yesterday, we addressed critical tax discrepancies affecting 2024–25 FAFSA forms through an Electronic Announcement (EA). This announcement provided information about a proactive approach for identifying unaffected and affected submissions through two lists of Universally Unique Identification Numbers (UUIDs) that correspond to those FAFSA forms. We also hosted a webinar to discuss this topic and address available school support.

Yesterday, the Department also started sending passwords to schools. Next, the Department will be sending schools the two password-protected files of unaffected and affected records. Schools can use the list of unaffected UUIDs to determine which of their processed Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) are ready to package into financial aid offers. We expect schools will be able to package financial aid offers for the majority of applicants, based on these lists. To help schools expedite aid packaging, the Department has also developed an open-source tool to help schools identify which of their records are unaffected.

In response to feedback from colleges, the Department has decided that it will automatically reprocess all FAFSA records affected by the April 1 announcement, as well as other previously identified issues. We expect to begin reprocessing these records in the first half of April.

Schools and state agencies will receive a subsequent ISIR transaction for each reprocessed record. They will still have the ability to use their judgment to rely on the original ISIR sent—not the reprocessed record—if the original ISIR results in greater financial aid eligibility for students.

Finally, we recently resolved an issue that was keeping some contributors without a Social Security number (SSN) from participating in the online FAFSA form. All applicants who previously had challenges inviting their non-SSN contributor to their form may now do so without issue. Affected applicants should follow updated instructions and review our FAFSA best practices at StudentAid.gov/FAFSAtips. We will be providing more information about this topic and FAFSA reprocessing later today through an EA.

We know how challenging this year has been and how busy you are supporting your students and their families. We have recorded our FAFSA webinars for higher education professionals—including yesterday’s event—so that those who could not attend the live session can access the information any time. The webinar is available under the “FAFSA Simplification” track in the FSA Training Center.

The FSA Training Center also includes recordings of the Department’s weekly Better FAFSA webinars—held every Friday from 3 until 4 p.m. ET—for financial aid administrators, vendors, state agencies, and other entities directly involved in delivering federal student aid. These training webinars highlight a specific topic for financial aid professionals to support their work with students and parents. Tomorrow’s webinar will focus on answers to the most common technical questions we have received to date from schools, software developers, and states. You do not need to register for the event, and it will be recorded and available on the FSA Training Center the next business day.

I’ll be back tomorrow morning with the day’s FAFSA-related updates.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

I want to provide another update and express gratitude for your ongoing commitment to navigate the complexities of federal student aid. We are continuing to work closely with the IRS to release a full list of FAFSA^® forms unaffected by recent tax data inconsistencies. We expect to start sending that list before the end of the week.

Once the Department releases the full list later this week, schools will have all the total unaffected records. Our goal remains to help schools package aid offers as quickly as possible. We will share updates throughout the week to ensure schools are ready to leverage the tools we are providing.

At the same time, we understand schools are navigating through uncertainty and might need additional guidance. The Department is providing comprehensive support and open communication during these times. FSA will host a tax data discrepancy and school support webinar today at 3 p.m. ET. This session is designed to provide in-depth insights about the tax discrepancies and identify available support to your schools.

The webinar does not require prior registration, and it will be recorded and available under the “FAFSA Simplification” track in the FSA Training Center tomorrow, for future reference.

Recognizing the potential for schools to be overwhelmed due to the volume of information, we have streamlined FAFSA Simplification Information resources on FSApartners.ed.gov. This platform serves as your gateway to the latest FAFSA updates, detailed guidance, and an array of resources tailored for the higher education community. To ensure you remain at the forefront of all FAFSA-related developments, we encourage you and your teams to sign up for our subscription emails, available for daily or weekly dispatches.

Expect an update from me tomorrow morning with the latest FAFSA-related matters.

Thank you,

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

Over the last week, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) has worked with the IRS to investigate and correct three issues with inaccuracies or inconsistencies in tax data for a subset of students. You can find the full detail of these three issues in our April 1, 2024 Electronic Announcement (EA). As of Monday, more than 6.6 million FAFSA^® forms have been successfully submitted. We have now processed nearly all applications received during this 2024–25 FAFSA cycle, and we plan to extend our national engagement strategy to increase the number of FAFSA completions—both for students finishing high school and for students continuing in college.

The Department’s top priority is to help schools make aid offers to students as soon as possible. To that end, the Department will help schools identify which Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) are accurate and which ISIRs the Department intends to reprocess. The Department expects that schools can continue packaging aid offers for students, as 80% of previously submitted FAFSA forms have no known errors; those records are not affected by the previously described issues.

Beginning in the first half of April, we will reprocess an estimated 5% of processed FAFSA forms to ensure students receive the financial aid for which they are eligible. Where adjustments would result in less aid to students, we will not reprocess unless asked to do so by schools after exercising their professional judgment. We are working with the IRS to release in the coming days a list of FAFSA forms that will not be automatically reprocessed, which schools can use as they continue to package aid. You can read more about this guidance in our April 1, 2024 EA

To provide further support to schools, we will host a new webinar on Wednesday, April 3 about tax data discrepancies and school support. Subject matter experts will discuss the recently identified tax discrepancies and review the support available to help schools identify and process unaffected FAFSA forms.

You do not need to register for the event, which will be recorded and made available on our FSA Training Center under the “FAFSA Simplification” track the following day.

I know each of you is doing your part to ensure that federal student aid is available to students at your institution. We greatly appreciate your efforts and your partnership with the Department.

Please keep reaching out to us, as you have been doing. Secretary Cardona made it very clear that he wants a direct line of communications between you and the Department, and we are committed to getting you the answers and other information you need. These daily communications and webinars are intended to respond to your questions and concerns.

Thank you again for making sure students can access the federal student aid they deserve to pursue their educational goals.

Rich Cordray

Dear Colleagues:

Welcome to FAFSA Fast News, a new blog on the Federal Student Aid (FSA) website dedicated to the implementation of the Better FAFSA. I am Rich Cordray, Chief Operating Officer of FSA.

On our FAFSA Fast News blog, you will hear directly from different voices across the U.S. Department of Education and FSA as part of our commitment to providing the most up-to-date information. Our top priority is to make sure schools, families, scholarship organizations, and states have the information they need to bring higher education in reach for more students and families.

First, I want to thank you for your extra efforts to implement the Better FAFSA, which I know is particularly challenging this year. We are working hard to address these challenges and ensure schools have the information needed to package and make aid offers as quickly as possible. To that end, the Department has delivered Institutional Student Information Records—known as ISIRs—to the majority of schools, states, and designated scholarship organizations, and expects FAFSA processing times to now keep pace with submissions. Going forward, schools should receive student records within 1-3 business days after they are submitted.

Later today, we will provide more information about which applications were affected by issues with tax data provided by the IRS on certain ISIRs and how schools can move forward with processing the ISIRs that were successfully delivered. And later this week, we will be hosting two webinars with FSA experts to talk about next steps on the tax data issue, as well as sharing the latest resources we are providing to schools and addressing common questions.

We recognize how important it is for schools and families to have the information they need to package and receive aid offers. Thank you for your partnership as we work together toward our shared goal of helping all students enroll in the college of their choice. We encourage you to bookmark this page and share it with your colleagues for regular status updates and resources related to the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form.

Rich Cordray