2024-25 FAFSA

The Department of Education opened the FAFSA in a "soft launch" period on December 30, 2023.

We encourage students to file the FAFSA as soon as possible — admitted students who file the FAFSA by our Feb. 15 priority deadline will be prioritized as we create personalized financial aid offers this spring.

The new FAFSA asks fewer questions (the maximum number of questions has been reduced from 108 to 46), and tax information is automatically imported through the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX). This means you won’t have to look up information like ‘adjusted gross income’ and can easily submit the FAFSA by giving consent for the FAFSA to use data you’ve already reported to the IRS. Students and their contributors will be required to provide consent and approval to transfer their federal tax information to be eligible for federal aid.

The income thresholds used to determine Pell Grant eligibility have been expanded, allowing more students from moderate-income families to qualify for the grant. Current UD students should file the FAFSA each year; some may find that they are eligible for additional aid due to this change.

This change better represents that this is an eligibility index for awarding financial aid, not a reflection of what a family can or will pay for a college education. However, this is more than a name change — the calculation itself is also being updated in the following ways:

• The Income Protection Allowance (IPA) will increase. The IPA protects a portion of income and assets (to cover basic living expenses) from being considered in the formula to determine the SAI.
• The number of family members in college won’t be considered in the SAI. In the past, if multiple family members were enrolled in college, the EFC was split between them, increasing aid eligibility.
• Family farms and small businesses will be considered. Families will now be required to report the net worth of their farms or businesses, and this can influence the SAI.

A student’s ‘Family Size’ will come directly from tax information and can be updated with current family size information when the FAFSA is filed.

In the case of divorced or separated parents, the FAFSA should be completed by the parent who provides the greater portion of the student’s financial support. In cases where both parents provide equal financial support, the parent with higher income should be listed on the FAFSA. Previously it was completed by the parent who held primary residence for the student.

“Contributor” is a new term introduced on the 2024-25 FAFSA. A contributor is anyone who will be required to provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly from the IRS into the FAFSA form. The student filing the FAFSA is a contributor. Other contributors may include a spouse (if applicable), biological or adoptive parents and step-parents. If a family member is identified as a contributor, it does not mean that they have an obligation to pay for your education.

Students will need to provide the following information on the FAFSA for each contributor:

• Name
• Social Security Number (if they have one)
• Date of birth
• Email address

All contributors will receive an email inviting them to complete their part. Each contributor must have their own Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID, even if they're in the same family.

This video from the Office of Federal Student Aid provides a helpful overview of contributors and how to prepare them to complete their part of the federal aid application.

As a Catholic and Marianist university, UD is committed to transparency and accessibility because we want you to have clarity about the cost and value of our top-tier education. The University of Dayton remains invested in student success — we provide more than $232 million in financial aid each year. And our transparent tuition plan means admitted students will know their net tuition costs for each year at UD, so they don’t have to worry about additional fees or unexpected tuition increases because the net tuition on the four-year financial aid offer is guaranteed.

Current UD undergraduate students can rest assured that their aid will not change, thanks to our transparent tuition plan with guaranteed net tuition. You can count on the net tuition cost for each year that was shared on your financial aid offer.

The FAFSA will remain required for federal, state and institutional aid consideration. We extended our recommended priority deadline for undergraduate applicants to file and send their FAFSA to the University of Dayton to February 15, 2024.

Current undergraduate students should file the FAFSA by April 1, 2024.

New undergraduate students who apply, visit campus and file the FAFSA by February 15 will be eligible for a textbook scholarship worth up to $1,000 per year for four years at UD.

Anyone submitting financial information as part of a student’s FAFSA will need to create a personal Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID). The process requires verification through the Social Security Administration so it may take some time to receive your ID. You will need to provide your social security number and mobile phone number or email address to get started.

FAFSA questions about the applicant’s gender, race and ethnicity have no effect on federal student aid eligibility and remain only for statistical purposes. This information is not shared with universities.

The FAFSA will request tax information from the prior-prior year. For example, the 2024-2025 FAFSA will request tax information from the 2022 tax year.

Students will be eligible for federal student loans assuming they complete the FAFSA and are not in default on any previous student loans.

After the 2024-25 FAFSA, the opening date will return to October 1 for the 2025-26 FAFSA and beyond.

The FAFSA remains an annual application that students must complete each year to remain eligible for financial aid.

All students and contributors need their own Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. This ID will be used to authenticate you and your contributors for several federal student aid processes. Individuals cannot share an FSA ID, even if they’re in the same family. We encourage students and contributors to complete this step as soon as possible (this process can take 3 to 5 business days).

This video shares more information about creating an FSA ID and how to solve common issues with accessing your Federal Student Aid account.

Prepare to file the FAFSA by gathering the required documents. Having these documents on hand will help you complete the form accurately and help you avoid any potential delays.

When completing your FAFSA, you and your contributors will be required to provide consent and approval for the IRS to share your federal tax return data with Federal Student Aid. It’s also good to gather other important documents and information in case you need to enter any information manually. This may include:

• Tax returns
• Child support records
• Current balances of cash, savings and checking accounts
• Net worth of investments, businesses and farms
• Name, email address, date of birth and social security number (if they have one) for each contributor

This video provides more detail on the information required to complete your FAFSA:

• Due to ongoing federal delays, colleges and universities will begin receiving students' FAFSA information in the first half of March. Once UD receives FAFSA information, we'll need to process the data before we can begin preparing financial aid offers.
• Incoming students will receive an email from the University of Dayton after we have received and processed your FAFSA. Watch for this email beginning in late March. Continue checking your Admission Account for updates or missing requirements.
• We're committed to processing FAFSA information and sending financial aid offers as quickly as possible once data is available from the U.S. Department of Education. Students who file the FAFSA by Feb. 15 will receive priority consideration. We plan to begin sending financial aid offers in April. 

Students whose FAFSA results are received by April 1, and who have met the standards for academic progress, should have awards by mid-June. Awards will be viewable on Porches.

If we receive your FAFSA results after April 1, you will be considered a late applicant and will be awarded after the on-time applicants. Although we will still honor your tuition guarantee as outlined in your award letter, being a late applicant can put you in jeopardy of losing out on need-based funds, such as federal or state grants, or donor-funded scholarships.