FAFSA Information
The 2024-25 FAFSA form is now available! We are pleased to share a recent update by the U.S. Department of Education announcing that higher education institutions will begin receiving students' 2024-2025 FAFSA information during the first half of March.
To complete your 2024-2025 FAFSA, please visit: 2024-2025 FAFSA Form.
Priority Deadline: April 15th
FAFSA Simplification
Beginning with the 2024-25 financial aid year, the U.S. Department of Education will introduce the FAFSA Simplification Act, which aims to streamline the financial aid application process for students and families.
As the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for Fall 2024, Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 process will be significantly different from previous years, we have provided some details below to help you navigate your future financial aid.
2024-25 FAFSA FAQs
The 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available as of December 2023.
For non-U.S. addresses and those in surrounding territories, contributors (either the student or parent) are advised to input the mailing address in the specified format on the 2024–25 FAFSA form as follows:
- Enter the city in the space for the city question.
- Select "Foreign Country" as the answer to the State question.
- Type the zip code in the Zip Code question.
- Select the country from the Country dropdown menu.
For dependent students, whose parents are willing to provide their tax information for their 2024-25 FAFSA please indicate “No”
For dependent students, whose parents are unwilling to provide their tax information and have no unusual circumstances that prevent them from contacting or obtaining their parents information please indicate “Yes.” However, you will only have Direct Unsubsidized Loan eligibility.
The 2024-2025 FAFSA application can be completed online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
UTRGV FAFSA School Code: 003599
Please make sure all information, Name, Social Security Number, Email address etc. are accurate and that there are no extra spaces immediately following the information entered.
Additionally, if you are renewing your FAFSA, make sure you correctly place Parent 1 and Parent 2 in the same order as prior years.Completing a paper FAFSA and mailing it to the specified address on the form is an option for students. However, it is essential to note that this method may take significantly longer to process and make corrections more challenging. The paper form still requires all applicants to provide consent for the Federal Student Aid (FSA) to access their federal tax information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and verify their identity. It is strongly recommended that students opt for electronic submission of their FAFSA, reserving the paper form as a last resort. Those who choose the paper option should have their application postmarked by the priority deadline.
UTRGV is unable to accept paper submissions of the 2024-25 paper FAFSA. Submissions must be sent to the address listed on the form.
Refer to question 29 on the paper FAFSA. Terms are listed on page 6.
Students and parents must complete the FAFSA using the required income tax year and if the following income tax year shows a significant decrease student can schedule appointment with a financial aid advisor for a possible Financial Aid Adjustment. The financial aid advisor will review the information and check to see if the income difference would result in the student being eligible for additional financial aid. If the student would become eligible for additional financial aid due to the decrease in income, the financial aid advisor will give student necessary forms and request documents to process a Financial Aid Adjustment. Note: A decrease in income from one year to the next does not always mean a student will be eligible for additional aid and if a student’s SAI is already at 0, a student is already at the highest possible eligibility.
Every contributor must create an FSA ID. Contributors without a social security number (SSN) are still required to create an FSA ID and will be prompted to undergo a verification process through TransUnion requesting answers to questions known only to the individual. These could include current or past addresses, a previous phone number, details about an employer, or information related to a home or auto loan. The FSA ID serves as a replacement for the traditional paper signature form, and there is no longer a signature page for the FAFSA. Parents are required to electronically sign the application using a StudentAid.gov account (formerly FSA ID).
No. If your parents are married or live together in the same house, then both parent’s income and asset information must be reported on the FAFSA. If they are married and file taxes together, only one parent needs a StudentAid.gov account (formerly FSA ID) to report on behalf of both parents. If your parents are divorced or were never married, then the parent who provides the most financial support for the student in the last 12 months will need to contribute to the FAFSA. If that parent is remarried, the stepparent must provide financial information on the FAFSA too. If parents/stepparents file taxes jointly, only one parent will need to contribute to the FAFSA on behalf of both parents. If parents/stepparents file taxes separately for any reason, both parents/stepparents need to contribute to the FAFSA.
Applicants and contributors who earn income in other countries may not have tax information available to retrieve from the IRS. These contributors must input their income and tax data manually, although they will still be required to provide consent to use their federal tax information (FTI), which includes filing status. Convert foreign currency to dollars using the currency exchange rate in effect on the date the FAFSA is filed. Enter the resulting amounts in the comparable fields from U.S. tax returns, such as adjusted gross income, income tax paid, and any untaxed income such as self-employment deductions, tax-exempt interest income, untaxed portions of distributions from retirement accounts and pensions, and foreign earned income exclusions.
FAQS
The 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available as of December 2023.
Students are strongly encourage to complete and submit the FAFSA for the 2024-2025 year as soon as it opens! Completing a FAFSA as early as possible allows students to:
- have an opportunity to receive financial aid programs that may be limited in funding
- Have additional time to make corrections to the FAFSA, if necessary
- Have additional time to submit additional documents that may be required to complete the application
In order to complete the 2024-2025 FASFA students will need:
- SSN for student and parents (if applicable)
- Permanent Resident Card (for students that are not U.S Citizens)
- 2022 Tax Returns (for student and parent, if applicable)
- 2022 W-2s (for student and parent, if applicable)
- FSA ID (for student and parent, if applicable). If forgotten can be retrieved at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/retrieve-username
- Other pertinent 2021 income information such as child support paid and received and benefits information.
The 2024-2025 FAFSA application can be completed online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
UTRGV FAFSA School Code: 003599
UTRGV will start receiving FAFSA forms in mid-March. Our goal is to send out award notifications in April, shortly after we have obtained your FAFSA details.
If a student will be attending college during any of these terms, they need to also submit the 2023-2024 FASFA Application. Please use your 2021 Income to complete the 2023-2024 FASFA.
Students can receive assistance at U Central computer lab area located on the first floor of the Student Services Building on the Edinburg campus and at the Tower on the Brownsville campus. U Central hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Tuesday 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., and Thursday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Students can only use the income year that the FASFA requests. In this case for the 2024-2025, students and parents must use the 2022 income year.
Students and parents must complete the FAFSA using the required income tax year and if the following income tax year shows a significant decrease student can schedule appointment with a financial aid advisor for a possible Financial Aid Adjustment. The financial aid advisor will review the information and check to see if the income difference would result in the student being eligible for additional financial aid. If the student would become eligible for additional financial aid due to the decrease in income, the financial aid advisor will give student necessary forms and request documents to process a Financial Aid Adjustment. Note: A decrease in income from one year to the next does not always mean a student will be eligible for additional aid and if a student’s SAI is already at 0, a student is already at the highest possible eligibility.
For questions students can contact us via www.utrgv.edu/askrio, call us at 956-882-4026 or visit us at U Central.
For more information about the 2024-2025 FAFSA Changes Click Here.