2024 NATO of CA/NV Scholarship Program – FAFSA Changes

Last year, we partnered with Fulfillment Fund to expand the scholarship program and developed a more inclusive and easier application process. One of the requirements of this new application is the submission of the Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Using this report from FAFSA, allows us to determine the applicants financial need, but most importantly, filling out the FAFSA gives students access to additional funding, such as grants, scholarships, and loans.

Last year, we were surprised by the number of applicants who were not aware of the FAFSA form, and we want to make sure to get ahead of this before the 2024 application opens at the start of the year.

The FAFSA form will open later this month with a redesign and significant changes.

• More students will be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant.
• The form’s design was streamlined, and many applicants will be able to skip questions depending on their individual circumstances.

The biggest and most important change is that anyone identified as a “contributor” will need to register for their own FAFSA ID and password to submit their information as part of the applicant’s form.

“Contributors” include spouses, parents (biological/adoptive), stepparents; anyone required to provide information, a signature, and consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly into the FAFSA form.

It is important to note that the information provided by contributors is used to determine eligibility for Federal student aid, but it does not mean contributors are financially responsible for the student’s education.

If a contributor does not have a Social Security number, they are still able to create an account when the new form goes live. If this is a concern for any of your employees wanting to apply for the 2024 NATO of CA/NV Scholarship Program, please reach out to us.

While we wait for the new form to open, new applicants can already create their own StudentAid.gov accounts and determine who will need to create accounts as contributors.

If they filled out the FAFSA for 2023-2024, they will receive reminder emails about applying for 2024-2025 and should log into their accounts to make sure their email address and information is correct.

Please share this information with your eligible employees. Encourage them to visit the following links for more information, especially the YouTube playlist.

Launch of the 2024-2025 FAFSA form

2024-2025 FAFSA FAQ’s YouTube Playlist