As many of you are aware the U. S. Department of Education has completely revamped the FAFSA® for the 2024-2025 aid year. Unfortunately, there have been significant delays and implementation issues which are causing delays in the delivery of results. 

What's New?

The 2024-25 FAFSA® expands eligibility for federal student aid, including Federal Pell Grants, and provides a streamlined user experience. The FAFSA® now connects to the Internal Revenue Service to retrieve income and tax information and automatically fills out the application. Applicants will be able to skip as many as 26 questions, depending on their individual circumstances, and some applicants could answer as few as 18 questions, which could take less than 10 minutes.

Unfortunately, issues have persisted beyond the soft launch for users, including accessing and submitting the FAFSA®. Subsequently, these problems have delayed sending student financial information to colleges and universities. The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that colleges and universities will not begin receiving Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) until mid-March, possibly later. The ISIR is the institutional copy of your FAFSA® application.  As of today, BRCC does not have access to the 24-25 ISIRs.

How are delays in the 2024-2025 FAFSA® timeline impacting financial aid decisions?

Timeline:  Like many colleges and universities, BRCC Office of Student Financial Services cannot begin making decisions about need based financial aid until our office receives this information. That means notifications about federal student aid will be delayed.

Financial Aid Impact: The delay from the U.S. Department of Education will not affect our consideration of your application for federal student aid.

Deadlines:  Our office is monitoring the timeline put forth by the U.S. Department of Education and will make necessary adjustments to applicable priority dates and deadlines. 

What Can I Do?

Despite ongoing issues, our staff encourages students to file the 2024-2025 FAFSA® as soon as possible if you haven't already. This will assist in helping our office to compile the best possible financial aid package for you as soon as we receive your FAFSA®. https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa   

When filing the FAFSA®, please be sure to include BRCC’s FAFSA® code: 037303 under the school's information section.

Assistance with Completing the FAFSA®

If you need assistance with completing the FAFSA®, in-person help is available.

Where: Room 122 in Bienvenue Student Center located on the Mid City Campus
When: Tuesdays or Thursdays, 10:00 am-2:00 pm (excluding holidays).

Students can also receive assistance directly from FAFSA® at StudentAid.gov/completefafsa or call 1-800-433-3243.

What's Next?

BRCC's Office of Student Financial Services is committed to providing you with the support and information you need throughout this process.

Stay Informed: Keep an eye on your email and BRCC's website for updates on the status of the FAFSA® processing and any changes to financial aid policies or deadlines.
 
Alternative Funding Options: Students are encouraged to explore alternative funding options such as outside scholarships, grants, part-time employment, or private student loans to assist with educational expenses that may not be covered by federal financial aid.
 
As always, The Office of Student Financial Services is here to assist with your financial aid needs. Should you have any questions, please contact your designated financial aid counselor.