Last-minute school transfer - do I need to update my son's 2024-2025 FAFSA?

Yes, he absolutely needs to update his existing 2024-25 FAFSA to add the new school. He doesn't need to complete a whole new application. Have him log into studentaid.gov, go to his current FAFSA, and add the new school's code. The new school will then be able to access his FAFSA data and process his loans for spring semester. Make sure he does this ASAP - some schools have earlier deadlines for transfer students!

Thank you! Do you know if his current school will be automatically notified when he adds the new school? I'm worried about financial aid complications if both schools think he's attending.

we had to do this with my daughter last year when she transfered. you gotta make sure he CALLS the financial aid office at the new school after adding them to the FAFSA. they wont automatically know hes coming just from the fafsa update!!

That's really helpful to know! I'll make sure he calls them after updating the FAFSA.

Adding to what others have said - I work in financial aid. Your son also needs to contact his CURRENT school to let them know he's transferring so they can cancel his spring semester aid. If he doesn't do this, it could cause issues with his aid at the new school. The system won't automatically notify the current school when he adds a new one to his FAFSA.

Oh! That's something we definitely wouldn't have thought of. I'll make sure he contacts his current financial aid office too. Thank you for the expert insight!

My son did this 2 years ago and it was SUCH a headache!!! The new school kept saying they couldn't see his FAFSA even tho he added them. We ended up having to call FSA directly but got disconnected 5 TIMES trying to reach someone. Wasted like 3 days just trying to talk to someone.

I had the same issue last semester. Try using Claimyr.com to get through to an FSA agent without the wait. They'll connect you directly rather than waiting on hold for hours. Saved me so much frustration when I was trying to resolve a similar issue. They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. With only 3 weeks until registration, it's worth considering rather than risking delays.

Thanks for the tip! If we run into trouble getting through to FSA, I'll definitely check this out. Time is definitely a factor with his transfer happening so soon.

Dont forget about the transition SAI scores!!! When my nephew transfered his SAI had to be recalculated for the new school and it took extra time. Make sure your son asks about that specifically!!!!

That's not accurate. The SAI (Student Aid Index) doesn't change based on which school you attend. It's calculated based on the financial information provided on the FAFSA. What DOES change is how each school uses that SAI to determine aid packages, but the SAI number itself remains the same regardless of which school you attend.

maybe I misunderstoof what the financial aid person told us then...they said something had to be recalculated when he transfered but maybe it was something else

Does your son have any scholarships at his current school? This is something we had to deal with when my daughter transferred mid-year. Most institutional scholarships don't transfer, and many of the new school's scholarship deadlines for spring had already passed by the time she decided to transfer in November. Definitely have him check with the new school about scholarship opportunities specifically for transfer students - some schools have special funds set aside for transfers that aren't widely advertised.

That's a great point! No, he doesn't have any scholarships at his current school (his grades aren't stellar), but I hadn't thought about checking for transfer-specific opportunities. I'll make sure he asks about that when he contacts the new financial aid office.

one more thing!!! make sure his new school gets his transcript from the old one! my daughters loans got delayed becuz they needed her transcript to confirm she was making satisfactory academic progress or something like that. they woudlnt process her loans without it!

Thank you for reminding me! I'll add

Just to wrap things up, here's a checklist based on all the advice:\n1. Add new school to existing 2024-25 FAFSA\n2. Contact new school's financial aid office to confirm they received the FAFSA\n3. Notify current school about the transfer to cancel spring aid\n4. Request transcript transfer from current school to new school\n5. Ask new school about transfer-specific scholarships\n6. If any issues arise with the FAFSA transfer, be prepared to contact FSA directly\n\nHope this helps organize what needs to be done!

This is INCREDIBLY helpful - thank you so much! I'm printing this out as our action plan. Really appreciate everyone's advice and guidance with this unexpected situation. You've all saved us a lot of confusion and potential problems!

As someone who went through a similar mid-year transfer situation, I'd also recommend having your son check if the new school requires any additional forms beyond the FAFSA. Some schools have their own institutional aid forms or verification documents that transfer students need to complete, especially for mid-year transfers. Also, ask about their refund policy in case he needs to withdraw from any classes - transfer students sometimes have different deadlines and policies than continuing students. The earlier he can get all this sorted out, the smoother his transition will be!