What changed on the FAFSA application?

Last year, the FAFSA was redesigned to be easier to fill out with a substantial reduction in questions. Some key changes:

The federal Pell Grant eligibility expanded to more students as determined by family size and income
Both students and parents must now create an FSA ID and provide consent for the FAFSA to retrieve their tax information from the IRS through the Direct Data Exchange (DDX)
In the case of divorced or separated parents, the parent who provided the most financial support in the last calendar year must complete the application
The number of children in college at the same time will no longer affect eligibility for federal need-based aid

You can get a sense of how much federal student aid you may be eligible for, with the Federal Student Aid Estimator. It takes about 10 minutes, and you can do this before filling out the FAFSA.

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My studentaid.gov account says my information has been sent to MIT. What happens next?

We will reach out to you directly if you;

received a Pell Grant and the amount changed based upon your FAFSA, or
need to submit verification documents to MIT.

But don’t worry—both situations are rare! We do not anticipate changes to financial aid offers and will email you directly if we make any adjustments to your offer.

My FAFSA says it is “In review” on the studentaid.gov site, what should I do?

Your FAFSA will appear as “In review” (meaning it has not been processed) in your studentaid.gov account and no corrections can be made until it is processed. You will receive an email once it is fully processed, letting you know that your FAFSA information has been sent to MIT.

What is FAFSA Simplification?

Congress recently passed laws to simplify the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applying for federal aid will now be easier for students and families as a result of a more streamlined application process and reduced barriers intended to expand the Federal Pell Grant to more students. Learn more about the FAFSA.

Will FAFSA delays affect financial aid deadlines?

The 2025–2026 FAFSA is now available. Students eligible for federal aid should submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile as soon as they are able. If you would like to apply for financial aid for the 2024–2025 academic year, you are still able to submit an application.

What is the Student Aid Index on the FAFSA?

The Student Aid Index (SAI) has replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Like the EFC, the SAI is a number that is used to determine how much federal student aid you are eligible to receive. The SAI is determined by the information that you and your family provide on the FAFSA and your SAI may be a negative number as low as -1,500.

What does it mean if my Student Aid Index is negative?

Students with a negative or 0 SAI are eligible for the maximum Federal Pell Grant. The difference is that a negative SAI indicates that a student has a higher need than a student with 0 SAI. This information can be used to prioritize how other grants with limited funding are distributed to students. The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is an example of where a negative SAI may be considered. However, schools cannot award more financial aid than the total cost of attendance, so a negative SAI does not increase the amount of aid that students receive.

My FAFSA reflects that I have provisional independent status, what does that mean?

If you indicate that you have an unusual circumstance when you fill out your FAFSA, but do not have all the required documentation, you will be granted provisional independent status. You will be able to complete the FAFSA as an independent student and will receive an estimated Student Aid Index and Federal Pell Grant. However, this does not guarantee that you will be granted independent status. Your financial aid counselor will reach out to you directly to make sure you complete the required documentation. Once complete, your dependency override request will be reviewed by MIT. Learn more about unusual circumstances and dependency override on our financial aid appeals page.

My family has more than one child in college at the same time, how does the new FAFSA impact my aid?

MIT uses the CSS Profile to determine need-based aid. We will continue to count siblings in college, so you will likely not experience any changes. If you were eligible for a Pell Grant in the past and it was reduced due to FAFSA Simplification, we will replace this with a grant to meet 100% of demonstrated need. You can get a sense of how much federal student aid you may be eligible for, with the Federal Student Aid Estimator. It takes about 10 minutes, and you can do this before filling out the FAFSA.

What changed on the FAFSA application?

FAFSA and FAFSA Simplification FAQs