The Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) recently announced that the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, will open by December 31, 2023. The delay in releasing the 2024-25 FAFSA was due to the first major overhaul in 40 years for this financial aid application. The FAFSA was modified with the intent of streamlining the application process, making it easier to complete, increasing the number of Pell eligible students, plus other changes that greatly improve the form.
One of these changes is to allow parents and spouses without a Social Security number (SSN) to create an FSA ID. The Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) is an account on the StudentAid.gov website that serves as your username and password to access and electronically sign the FAFSA. The FSA ID will be used every year you complete a FAFSA to apply for financial aid for college. In the past, those without a Social Security number were required to print and sign a separate signature page and then mail in their FAFSA. This new procedure will greatly speed up and streamline the procedure. When the 2024-25 FAFSA is released, parents and spouses will then be able to set up their FSA ID without an SSN. Creating the FSA ID is a simple process and the new FAFSA form will guide you through the set up by providing clear instructions as you navigate each question. Visit StudentAid.gov and “What You Need to Know” to learn more about the new FAFSA form. And review UCanGo2’s PowerPoint on creating an FSA ID without an SSN.