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Your Guide to the 2025–2026 FAFSA

FAFSA guide

FAFSA Guide last updated: November 20, 2024

Important Update: The 2025–2026 FAFSA is now available!

What does this mean for you?

What Does This Mean for You?

In simple terms, you can now fill out the FAFSA. We have no reason to believe if you submitted your FAFSA today that you would have to fill it out again. Cairn University has already received FAFSAs for the 25–26 year successfully. While this beta launch availability is earlier than schools anticipated, this can be helpful for families to potentially receive offers of aid from schools sooner.

See an updated table below to know what to expect with FAFSA timelines moving forward:

November 19, 2024 Beta launch of FAFSA is available. Anyone can now submit their actual FAFSA.
December 1, 2024 FAFSA beta should now be the official version.
December 2024 You complete the FAFSA.
December 2024 Cairn receives your FAFSA.
December 20, 2024 First batch of Cairn's Offers of Aid go out.
May 1, 2025 FAFSA submission deadline to be considered for maximum aid eligibility.

Tips for a Smooth Application Process:

  • Ensure the student completes his or her application first.

    Then, invite the parent/guardian as a “contributor” and only then should the parent complete their portion. *If you are creating an FSA ID for the first time, please note it could take up to 4 days for your ID to be processed and verified*

  • Check the parent filing status.

    Only add one parent to your FAFSA if your parent’s tax status for 2023 was “married filing jointly”.

  • Identify legal name changes.

    If you changed your legal name before you created your account with Federal Student Aid (FSA), be sure to use your new name when creating the account. If you changed your legal name after you create your FSA account, please update your name before completing the FAFSA. If you changed your legal name after completing the FAFSA. you may need to call FSA to adjust your application. You can call 1-800-433-3243 to learn more.

  • After submission, wait to make additional changes.

    After submitting the FAFSA, we recommend that you do not go back to make corrections to your FAFSA until Cairn has received your initial application.

  • Contact Financial Aid if you have any questions.

    [email protected] is the best way to reach us!

Other Helpful Resources:

 
  • Cairn Scholarship Estimator is a great way to get a more accurate approximation of what your aid could look like for Cairn. Our admission staff will review your submission and contact you shortly to discuss your aid.
  • The Student Aid Index (SAI) is the new calculation for determining student financial need. The SAI estimator assesses the Federal funding a student can receive.
    Be aware: This estimator was released in September, but otherwise, the new SAI calculations have not been made available to Financial Aid Administrators or to the public. We would advise anyone using this to take caution as SAI, PELL grant, loan, and Federal work study amounts generated likely do not reflect accurate numbersespecially given the fact that the FAFSA release date continues to be pushed back.

Remember, we are here to help! If this FAFSA Guide is missing questions or concerns you have, you can contact Student Financial Services at [email protected] with any questions, or you can learn more at about our tuition and financial aid at cairn.edu/aid. 

FAFSA Guide last updated: November 20, 2024

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