A Simpler 2024-25 FAFSA

If you need to submit any documents to MSU to verify information on your 2024-25 FAFSA, you will receive notification in your financial aid portal (student.msu.edu) in the "Documents" tab. After a nationwide delay related to implementation of the 2024-25 FAFSA, MSU began manually processing and submitting these documents July 31.

If 2024-25 federal aid is listed as “Projected” in your student portal due to a correction initiated by the school, those awards are correct and will switch to an “Awarded” status shortly after the correction is submitted and processed. If you have an award in projected status and wish to confirm that this is due to a corrected FAFSA, please reach out to our office for clarification.

It is possible that some corrections may not be processed before bills are due for fall semester 2024, meaning that actual aid would not be applied to your account in time to pay your bill. Please know that MSU will protect families waiting for corrections from any administrative penalties such as late fees or disenrollment.

We know this news is not ideal, and we are very sorry for the stress this may cause families anxiously awaiting their 24-25 aid packages. As we work through this manual process, our office is here to help you however we can.

MSU is currently accepting Professional Judgment (PJ) applications.

As a result of the nationwide delay in school-initiated corrections, the PJ process opened months later than usual. While we are working very hard to process PJs as quickly as possible, some applications may not be processed before fall 2024 bills are due on Aug. 23. It is possible that any revisions due to a successful PJ review would not be applied in time to impact your initial fall bill. MSU will protect from harm any families who are waiting for a professional judgment process to complete. This will include the waiving of late fees or other administrative penalties for those caught in this delay.

WHAT IS A PJ?

While the FAFSA is intended to determine the amount a family can reasonably be expected to pay toward a student's college costs, circumstances occasionally arise that make the FAFSA data an inaccurate picture of family resources. A Professional Judgment (PJ) allows us to evaluate your current financial circumstances with the possibility of increasing your aid. A list of conditions that may be reviewed are here: finaid.msu.edu/references/Professional-Judgment

HOW DO I REQUEST A PJ?

Contact an advisor at the Office of Financial Aid to discuss whether you might benefit from completing a Professional Judgment form, which requires substantial documentation on your part. If you’re near campus, stopping in to sit with an advisor is the best choice. Our contact info: finaid.msu.edu/about/contact

Fixing an error
Student corrections, including adding a missing signature, are now available for applicants and their contributors. Students who need to make corrections or who choose to make additions or changes to their FAFSA forms should return to StudentAid.gov to complete those updates. Instructions for making corrections to your FAFSA can be found here.

If you are correcting a misspelled name or date of birth, we encourage you to come in to the Office of Financial Aid for assistance if possible. If you are unable to stop in to work with an advisor to fix this error, we have provided these instructions. 

• All students with a valid 24-25 FAFSA are now able to view their aid in the student financial aid portal (student.msu.edu).

• Students are asked to check their portal regularly for any messages regarding their aid, or to view any updates to their package. Due to an unprecedented number of data issues beyond MSU’s control, we may receive changes from the U.S. Department of Education after an award package is generated that result in revisions to award amounts.

• Students are now able to make corrections to an already-submitted 2024-25 FAFSA. This includes the “missing signature” issue experienced by a number of families. Instructions for making a correction are found here: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/review-and-correct/correct.

The graphic below illustrates the timeline for the arrival of 2024-25 aid packages. At this point, if you do not see a complete aid package, or you believe there is an issue with your package, please contact the MSU Office of Financial Aid.

Federal FAFSA Deadline

If you plan to attend college during the 2024-2025 academic year, you must file the FAFSA prior to ceasing attendance in the academic year or June 30, 2025, whichever is earlier. Federal aid includes the Pell Grant and Federal Direct Loans.

Michigan FAFSA Deadline

For 2024-25 only, students must submit the current year FAFSA by July 1 to receive State awards such as Michigan Tuition Grant and Michigan Competitive Scholarship. Any other year, the Michigan deadline is May 1.

MSU FAFSA Deadline

While many schools have a cutoff date for institutional aid, MSU does not. Keep in mind that many private scholarships use FAFSA information to determine eligibility, and these awards may have their own earlier deadlines. Awards may also be limited to a certain number of awardees, so completing the FAFSA early is always suggested.

The new FAFSA application is a simpler, quicker process! The FAFSA is now up 24/7. This page at studentaid.gov has information about how to make sure you are prepared to complete the new FAFSA before beginning the process. For up-to-date information about the new FAFSA from ED, visit studentaid.gov.

• A streamlined FAFSA application
• A new method of determining aid called the Student Aid Index (SAI), which will replace Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
• The number of family members in college as a factor for determining aid.
• Requirements for determining dependency have changed. This studentaid.gov page will help students determine if they are considered independent or dependent, and whose information they must report when they fill out the 2024-25 FAFSA form.
• Anyone required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form is now considered a "Contributor." This includes the student, but could also include the student’s spouse, parent or stepparent. Being a contributor does not imply responsibility for the student's college costs. Studentaid.gov has more information about determining your Contributors.

• Every Contributor is required to have an FSA ID set up at studentaid.gov.

The 2024-25 FAFSA has a new term: Contributor. Anyone required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form is considered a Contributor. This includes the student, but could also include the student’s spouse, parent or stepparent. Being a contributor does not imply responsibility for the student's college costs. Studentaid.gov has more information about determining your Contributors.

Every Contributor is required to have an FSA ID set up at studentaid.gov. It may take up to three days to process an FSA ID, so Contributors are encouraged to set this up now to avoid delays when you're ready to complete the FAFSA.

Cost of Attendance (COA): COA includes tuition and fees, food and housing, books and supplies (including course materials and equipment), miscellaneous personal expenses, and transportation. 

Contributor: A parent, step-parent, student, or spouse of the student who is providing information to the FAFSA. 

Consent: Required from all contributors in order for the IRS to share tax data directly to the FAFSA. If any contributor does not provide consent, the student will automatically be ineligible for aid.

Direct Data Exchange (DDX): Contributors who are asked to provide financial information are required to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX) to transfer their 2022 tax information (or non-filing status). The DDX makes entering information much quicker than hand entry and drastically reduces the possibilty for errors that could slow the processing of your FAFSA.

FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS): A summary of your completed FAFSA information. This replaces the Student Aid Report (SAR) that was used in previous years.

Student Aid Index (SAI): Calculated by FAFSA data and will determine student aid eligibility. This replaces the EFC that was used in previous years.