2025-26 FAFSA Simplification

The 2025-2026 FAFSA is now open and available! You may now file your 2025-2026 FAFSA to prepare for the 2025-2026 academic year that starts in Fall 2025. File by April 15, 2025, if you are a Tennessee resident for state aid priority.

STEPS TO PREPARE FOR THE 2025-2026 FAFSA:

• Create your FSA ID on studentaid.gov (student, parent contributor(s), spouse — anyone who will be a contributor on the FAFSA)
• Determine who should be on your FAFSA as a contributor using the Parent Wizard

ABOUT FAFSA SIMPLIFICATION

The FAFSA Simplification Act passed by Congress in 2020 laid the foundation and set the requirements for an updated and revamped FAFSA process with the end goal being a more streamlined FAFSA submission process and increased aid eligibility for students across the country.  As a result, significant changes to the FAFSA and the need analysis formula within it were implemented for the 2024-2025 school year and are continuing into the 2025-2026 school year.  

Due to these major changes, students and schools saw significant delays in the FAFSA availability and processing of data for 2024-2025. We have been advised by the U.S. Department of Education that the 2025-26 FAFSA process will be easier and faster but will see some delays as they test and correct issues as FAFSAs are processed.  We appreciate your patience as we continue to work for our students as effectively as possible while we adjust to the processing and timeline changes put upon us this year.

2025-26 FINANCIAL AID TIMELINE

• October 1, 2024: The 2025-2026 FAFSA became available for a very small number of students to be beta filers for new FAFSA testing and evaluation
• Shortly before December 1, 2024: The 2025-2026 FAFSA was made available for all students on www.studentaid.gov
• Carson-Newman University Financial Aid Office will begin pulling in 2025-2026 FAFSA data as soon as it becomes available shortly after the beginning of 2025
• Carson-Newman Financial Aid Office with the IT Department will then begin the calculation and testing period with the new FAFSA data in our system
• The Financial Aid Office will provide further updates as soon as we can as to when aid packaging can begin once we receive more information from the Department of Education

Student Aid Index (SAI)

The Student Aid Index (SAI) has replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) that has been used previously to determine students’ need-based aid eligibility.  The SAI is calculated by information provided by the student and his or her contributors on the FAFSA. 

Cost of Attendance (COA) – Student Aid Index (SAI) = Student’s Need

Our Financial Aid Office will use this calculation to determine students’ need-based aid eligibility.