The yearly cycle of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is currently delayed for the second year in a row. Normally, FAFSA opens on October 1 each year but, this year it was delayed until December 1.
Hank Crawford, Pitt’s executive director of financial aid, said this year’s delay “will not impact the awarding or receiving of student aid funds.”
“When the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) made changes last year under the FAFSA Simplification Act, it resulted in DOE delays in processing the students’ information and sending it to colleges and universities, including Pitt for the 2024-2025 academic year,” Crawford said.
Some of these changes include modifications to the eligibility requirements for aid.
FAFSA determines student eligibility for federal grants, work-study funds and loans. All current, prospective and transfer students are able to complete the FAFSA now. Students can go to https://studentaid.gov/ to complete the form.
Students who already completed the form will be notified when the financial aid offer is ready to view. During a typical cycle, the FAFSA would be opened in October, and Pitt would review applications on a continuous basis as new applications were received. Typically, financial aid packages were sent in early spring.
“Pitt’s financial aid team will begin to process Fall 2025 incoming undergraduate student financial aid offers in late February 2025, with all other students later in the spring term,” Crawford said.
Crawford said the FAFSA Simplification Act changes did affect federal financial aid and eligibility requirements for some students. The new need analysis formula removes the number of family members from the calculation, and there are modifications to family definitions in FAFSA formulas. Furthermore, the act will expand the Federal Pell Grant to more students, linking eligibility to family size and poverty level.
“Pennsylvania residents must complete the FAFSA by May 1, 2025, to qualify for the PA State Grant,” Crawford said.
There are many resources available for students if they have questions about the FAFSA. Pitt offers FAFSA financial aid resources on the financial aid website at https://financialaid.pitt.edu/update/.