FAFSA/CASFA CHANGES ARE HERE!
Updated May 8, 2024
It’s time! If you’ve been waiting to complete your 2024-25 FAFSA due to challenges with the online form, many of those issues have been resolved. Colleges are starting to put together financial aid offers, so complete your FAFSA (or CASFA) as soon as possible.
Did you submit your FAFSA earlier this winter or spring?
Log in to StudentAid.gov and scroll to My Activity on the dashboard to see if anything is missing or if you need to make corrections.
- Due to earlier glitches with the FAFSA form, many students may be missing signatures or may need to provide consent (for yourself or your parent) to transfer tax information from the IRS to the FAFSA.
Be sure to check your StudentAid.gov dashboard regularly for updates and pay attention to emails from the U.S. Department of Education and colleges you’ve applied to. They will reach out if you have follow-up steps to complete.
Did you submit your CASFA before April 15?
If so, please login to your CASFA account and follow these steps to make sure your college(s) receives the most up-to-date version of your CASFA. Do this as soon as you can so you receive your financial aid offers as quickly as possible.
Need help or have questions?
DSF will be offering FAFSA/CASFA completion support to the metro Denver community. Check back for upcoming events.
The Educational Opportunity Center offers year-round FAFSA support to anyone in metro Denver. They are housed at CCD, but you don’t have to be a CCD student to get help. Go to ccd.edu/eoc to schedule an appointment or learn more.
Financial aid applications FAFSA and CASFA have changed big time for the 2024-2025 academic year.
As of January 1, 2024, the 2024-2025 CASFA is open and students can complete it. Jump to more details about CASFA.
As of March 13, 2024, the 2024-2025 FAFSA is open and most issues have been fixed. Check this page for updates as we learn more.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Parents or spouses who don’t have Social Security Numbers are now able to create an account and complete the FAFSA. Click here for details.
What you can do to get started:
- Gather 2022 tax documents (or complete 2022 taxes)
- Talk to your DSF Advisor or college’s Financial Aid Office to get help or to learn about updates to the applications
- Pay attention to messages from your college’s Financial Aid Office and the U.S. Department of Education (if you’re completing FAFSA) or Colorado Department of Higher Education (if you’re completing CASFA)
- Create your account
- Get support at a DSF Financial Aid Workshops, from your DSF Advisor or counselor, from your college’s financial aid office, or from the Educational Opportunity Center
Remember that all students who are planning to be in college next year (2024-25) must complete the FAFSA or CASFA each year to receive financial aid. Scroll down to learn more about which application you should complete.
Financial Aid Video Resources
Click to view videos from DSF and Federal Student Aid that may help answer your financial aid questions for 2024-25.
Getting Started
For most colleges, the financial aid application(s) you need to complete depends on whether you are eligible for federal student aid.
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Are you a U.S. citizen, Legal Permanent Resident (have a green card), or eligible non-citizen? If so, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for every year that you enroll in college, and submit it before your college’s priority deadline so that you can get as much aid as possible. Your college may also require you to complete an additional financial aid application, such as the CSS Profile.
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If you are not eligible for federal aid (for example, if you have DACA or are undocumented), check with your college’s financial aid office to learn which application(s) to complete, and submit by your college’s priority deadline so that you can get as much aid as possible. Many Colorado colleges use the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA), which is an online application similar to the FAFSA. Other colleges may require you to complete the CSS Profile or the college’s own aid application.
Note: If you are a U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident (have a green card), do not submit CASFA. You must complete the FAFSA to apply for financial aid.
International students who are studying in the U.S. on a student visa are not eligible for Colorado state financial aid programs but may complete the CASFA to determine eligibility for institutional aid (aid offered by a college or university).
Financial aid consists of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study employment opportunities that are available to help students pay for the cost of attending college.
- Gift aid does not have to be repaid and does not require a work commitment from the student. Grants and scholarships are examples of gift aid.
- Self-help aid requires either repayment or a work commitment from the student. Loans and work-study are examples of self-help aid.
- Need-based aid is awarded to students who demonstrate financial need by providing documentation of insufficient personal and family resources to pay for college.
- Merit-based aid is awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement or talent in the arts, athletics, or other areas.
Getting Help
- If you’re at a high school with a DSF Future Center, you can get financial aid help from your DSF College Advisor.
- If you’re not at a high school with a DSF Future Center, reach out to your counselor.
- If you’re a DSF Scholar enrolled in college, you can get financial aid help from your DSF Advisor or from your college’s financial aid office – many colleges offer workshops and drop-in help for financial aid.
- The Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) offers assistance with FAFSA to Denver metro residents. To learn more or schedule an appointment, visit EOC’s website.
