The 2020–21 FAFSA® Form Is Here!
The 2020–21 FAFSA cycle began today. The application is available until June 30, 2021—but be sure to remind your students that some funds are limited, so it’s a good idea to apply as soon as possible. There are two ways that students can apply:
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Online via fafsa.gov
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By downloading the myStudentAid mobile app
Key features of fafsa.gov
Applicants and parents may complete and submit a 2020–21 FAFSA form on fafsa.gov. This year, to promote a fully integrated user experience, fafsa.gov has been synchronized with the myFAFSA component of the myStudentAid mobile app, allowing applicants and parents to seamlessly transition from one application source to the other.
In addition, as part of our continued effort to ensure privacy, the SSN field on the Login view is now masked by default. Users can check a box if they wish to see what was typed into the field.
Key features of myFAFSA
Students and parents may download the myStudentAid app in both the Apple App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android). myFAFSA is one component of the myStudentaid mobile app and can be used by students and parents to complete a 2020–21 FAFSA form.
Key features of myFAFSA include:
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Students and parents may begin, complete, and submit a new or renewal FAFSA form for both the 2020–21 and 2019–20 FAFSA processing cycles.
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Students will now have the capability to view their Student Aid Report in the mobile app.
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Users will continue to be offered a customized experience based on their role (student, parent, or preparer).
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Eligible students and parents may use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) to electronically transfer federal tax return information into a FAFSA form.
Noteworthy changes to both fafsa.gov and myFAFSA
As a result of changes to 2018 tax forms, changes were made throughout both fafsa.gov and myFAFSA.
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All references to Forms 1040A, 1040-EZ and exemptions were removed.
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Questions 35 and 82 were repurposed to ask whether the applicant or parent, as applicable, filed a Schedule 1 with their IRS Form 1040.
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The untaxed portions of pensions and untaxed portions of IRA distributions fields have been combined into one (this also applies to the data transferred from the IRS DRT).
In addition, IRS Forms 1040NR and 1040NR-EZ have been added as answer options for the type of tax return filed question.
For a complete description of all the changes to the 2020-21 FAFSA form, please refer to the Summary of Changes for the Application System Guide, which will be posted to the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) website later this month.
Updated FAFSA Resources
Federal Student Aid staff members have been busy updating FAFSA resources for you. You'll find FAFSA resources, updates, and talking points on the Financial Aid Toolkit site. For more information about the 2020–21 FAFSA® materials and their estimated availability dates, visit the Financial Aid Toolkit’s “FAFSA Updates” page.
Remember, the Financial Aid Toolkit is for you, the counselor, mentor, or financial aid professional. Send students to StudentAid.gov/fafsa for FAFSA information.
Digital Outreach Resources
Visit FinancialAidToolkit.ed.gov/digital-outreach to access sample social media posts, blog posts, infographics, and videos that you can use to promote FAFSA completion.
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Thank you! As we work together to make college or career school a reality for millions of students across the country, we continue to be grateful for your hard work and support.