2024-2025 FAFSA UPDATES

The 2024-2025 FAFSA portal is open now and we recommend submitting your FAFSA as soon as possible.

Note: There may be intermittent down times as the Department of Education performs site maintenance.

Priority FAFSA Deadline for Financial Aid at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has been pushed to May 1st.

However, we highly recommend you complete the FAFSA application as soon as possible to ensure our office receives your applicant information.

The FAFSA priority deadline date is when you must have your FAFSA filed to receive priority consideration in the financial aid awarding process by the TAMU-CC.

IMPORTANT:

• FAFSA applications filed after Wednesday, May 1, will be considered for limited forms of financial assistance.

Filing your application by the deadline does not guarantee award funds from various programs but increases the chances of you receiving it.

The Department of Education has initiated processing of the 2024-25 FAFSA form. To view any updates related to your FAFSA form status, you can check the "My Activity" section of your StudentAid.gov dashboard. 

Students can now make corrections to their 2024-2025 FAFSA form! The Department of Education has provided more details on How to Correct or Update Your FAFSA Form.

Our financial aid advisors are here to help you navigate the FAFSA process. If you need assistance from one of our advisors to complete your FAFSA, you can schedule an appointment online or call 361.825.2338.

Our financial aid team will also be available in person during FAFSA Workshop events like Island Day, Admitted Student Day, or various workshop events throughout the semester (see latest dates at top of page).

Legislation was passed in 2020 aimed at simplifying the FAFSA process. These changes have brought about several changes in calculating aid eligibility, beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year.

• Less Questions: The FAFSA will only ask 46 questions
• Tax/Income Data: Beginning with 2024-25, all persons listing tax information on the FAFSA will be required to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX) to share tax information or confirm non-filing status.
• Student Aid Index (SAI): The FAFSA previously calculated an Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). Now the FAFSA will produce the Student Aid Index (SAI). This number, unlike the EFC, can be negative with the minimum SAI being -1500.
• No benefit for having siblings in college: The FAFSA previously divided the EFC proportionally based on the number of the household in college. The elimination of this "sibling discount" will be the biggest change in aid eligibility for some students
• Automatic Pell Grants based on income and household size: Families making less than 175% and single parents making less than 225% of the federal poverty level will see their students receive a maximum Federal Pell Grant award. Minimum Pell Grants will be guaranteed to students from households below 275%, 325%, 350%, or 400% of the poverty level, depending on household structure. 
• Larger Income Protection Allowances: The Income Protection Allowance (IPA) covers a family's basic living expenses and is excluded from SAI formulas. New, larger IPAs lower the amount of student or parent income considered to be available to pay for college. IPAs will increase by 20% for parents, up to about $2400 (35%) for most students, and up to about $6500 (60%) for students who are single parents.
• Inclusion of family farms or small businesses: When required, families will now report the value of their farms or businesses. 

Use this step-by-step guide (PDF download) from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) to get an FSA ID if you do not have a social security number.

NOTE: An FSA ID is required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online as a student applicant or as a contributor (parent/stepparent or spouse of a student applicant).