FAFSA 2025-26 simplified form only asking for cash/checking info - missing questions we had last year?

You're not missing anything! The 2024-2025 FAFSA was completely redesigned and simplified. The new form uses direct data transfer from the IRS so they don't need to ask all those questions anymore. Basically your tax info gets pulled automatically through the IRS Data Retrieval Tool which is now mandatory, not optional like before. They reduced the questions from over 100 to about 36. As long as you and your husband both provided consent to transfer tax info and completed the entire form until submission, you should be good to go!

my son had the sammmme issue!!! we just did his fafsa 2 nights ago and i was like WHERE IS ALL THE STUFF??? lol we actually called his school financial aid office cuz we thought the website was broken or something. they said its the new simplified version and the irs is doing all the dirty work behaind the scenes now. waaaaay easier than the old one!!

The FAFSA has been completely redesigned for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 aid years. What you experienced is the result of the FAFSA Simplification Act. The Department of Education now retrieves your tax information directly from the IRS (with your permission), which eliminates the need for many questions. Key changes: 1. Fewer questions overall (down from 108 to about 36) 2. Direct IRS data transfer for tax information 3. New Student Aid Index (SAI) replacing the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculation 4. Changes to whose information is collected for dependent students The schools will still receive comprehensive financial information - it's just being gathered differently. You've done it correctly if you: - Created FSA IDs for you, your spouse, and your student - Completed all screens until final submission - Received a confirmation number - Gave consent for IRS data transfer For your daughter, no additional forms are required for federal aid, but check if her specific colleges require the CSS Profile (used by some private institutions for institutional aid).

that new form is SO confusing...we thought we did something wrong too! filled it out for my twins starting next fall and it took like 15 minutes when last year for my oldest it took over an hour! progress i guess?

One important thing to note - while the federal FAFSA form has been simplified, many private colleges still require the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. The CSS Profile is much more detailed and asks about all those assets the FAFSA is no longer directly asking about (investment accounts, home equity, business value, etc.). Check your daughter's college's financial aid website to see if they require the CSS Profile. About 400 mostly private institutions use it. If they don't mention it, then just the FAFSA is sufficient. The CSS Profile does have a fee, though fee waivers are available for eligible families.

I struggled with this EXACT issue last month when doing my daughter's FAFSA! It was so frustrating trying to figure out if I'd missed something. I kept getting disconnected whenever I called the Federal Student Aid helpline too. My wait times were over 2 hours each time! I eventually used a service called Claimyr to get through to an actual person at Federal Student Aid. They connected me to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait. The agent confirmed that yes, the new form is MUCH shorter and mostly relies on direct IRS data transfer now. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ or just go to claimyr.com. Saved me so much stress!

To answer your question about retirement accounts - the FAFSA has never counted retirement accounts (401k, IRA, etc.) in the aid calculation, so I'm not sure why you think that affected your son's aid. That's always been an advantage of the FAFSA over the CSS Profile, which some private schools use and DOES sometimes consider retirement savings. Regarding how they calculate other assets now - they're pulling some info directly from tax forms. Schedule B shows interest and dividends, which indicates you have investments. Schedule E shows rental property income. But they're also still asking for your cash/checking/savings directly because that doesn't show up clearly on tax forms. The new SAI calculation has different multipliers and considerations than the old EFC, so your daughter's aid eligibility might be quite different than your son's was, even with similar financial situations.

I'm extremely skeptical about this "simplified" form. I filled it out for my son last week and it was suspiciously easy. How can they make an accurate determination of our financial situation with so little information?? The old form at least FELT thorough. This new one seems like they're just going to make assumptions based on our tax returns that might not be accurate. What if there are special circumstances that don't show up on taxes? What if your financial situation changed dramatically after 2023? I bet they're just going to give LESS aid to everyone and call it "simplified." FAFSA has NEVER worked in the student's favor in my experience.

Has anyone actually gotten their SAI back from the new form yet? We submitted two weeks ago and still waiting...

For the CSS Profile deadlines question - yes, private schools typically have their own deadlines for the CSS Profile, often earlier than the federal FAFSA deadlines. Some are as early as November 1 for early decision applicants, while regular decision is often February 1, but it varies by school. I'd recommend checking each school's financial aid website immediately or calling their financial aid offices directly. Regarding how they calculate home equity and investments now - the federal methodology (FAFSA) is still not considering home equity in your primary residence (this hasn't changed). The FAFSA is using tax data to identify investment income, which then factors into the SAI calculation. They're essentially working backward from the income your investments generate rather than asking for the value directly. If you're concerned about accurate representation of your financial situation, remember you can always submit additional documentation directly to schools after completing the FAFSA.