The 2024-25 revamped, simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was launched by Federal Student Aid (FSA) on December 31, 2023. This is almost three months later than the normal launch data of October 1. Since this was a brand-new application, FSA called it a “soft launch,” with plenty of downtime and maintenance, and various technical issues.
UIS has pushed our priority filing date back to March 15. At this time, the application should be available for students 24/7, rather than limited access, and with some known issues. Visit the 2024-25 FAFSA Issue Alerts website for details on known issues.
The UIS Office of Admissions will not be observing the National Decision Day (May 1) this year. We recognize how important it is for students and families to know their cost and aid and have ample time to make informed decisions. There will be flexibility with applicants regarding admission decisions; however, we may publish a decision date at a later time when more information is available, to encourage students to enroll, sign up for housing and register for orientation.
The US Department of Education missed an important step and did not update the FAFSA formula with the required inflation-related adjustments. They have only recently announced that they will be making these updates; and notified schools on January 30 that we would not be receiving FAFSA data at the end of January as previously communicated. Schools are now expecting to begin receiving FAFSA data files from FSA sometime in the first half of March. Therefore, our timeline for processing applications and providing aid offers to students for 2024-25 is considerably impacted and delayed. We will do our very best to provide students with information as soon as we can; however, we must ensure that we are providing accurate information.
The UIS Net Price Calculator is an available tool which might help give prospective students an idea of what their aid offer might look like. The calculator has been updated with our new scholarship programs and the Prairie Promise; however, it will be further updated this weekend to include the newest Student Aid Index (SAI) data based on the inflation updates that FSA is making to the formula. Please note that this is not applicable to currently enrolled students.
If you would like to learn more about the new FAFSA and the related changes, please see the Campus Partners Brief provided by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) or the UIS FAFSA Simplification webpage.
Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation. We plan to send targeted student communications to current students and applicants in the next day or so. Our office is available to assist students and families with their questions or concerns.
Laci Engelbrecht, FAAC®
Director
University of Illinois Springfield
Office of Financial Assistance