New process for federal student aid application announced

Posted by × 02/08/2016 at 12:05 pm

23634845266_0c99a8318c_kBy Joel Delgado ’12 MS ’17 

For current FIU students applying for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) this year, there’s an important change. The federal government is revamping the way students and parents file their annual FAFSA, scrapping the existing four-number PIN system.

Students and their parents will now need to create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID in order to compete their application. This change affects 83 percent of the university’s full-time undergraduates – those who receive any kind of need-based financial aid.

The new FSA ID can also be used to log in to other U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites, such as the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS®) and My Federal Student Aid.

OneStop Enrollment Management & Services is urging students currently enrolled at FIU to learn about the new process and create an FSA ID well before FIU’s priority FAFSA application deadline March 1.

“The Department of Education has been attempting to update their security so they went to a stronger, more secure process for students to authenticate themselves,” says Director of Financial Aid Francisco Valines. “The FSA ID wasn’t a requirement last year, but this year it is and you can’t file a FAFSA now with your PIN anymore. We want students to set that up early so they don’t miss any deadlines that are coming up.”

Enrollment Management & Services and Univision will host a FAFSA information event from noon to 2 p.m. Feb. 17 in the Graham Center pit to answer questions about FAFSA, important changes and help walk students through creating an FSA ID. The event is free and open to FIU students.

To learn more about the new process and to create an FSA ID, visit the Federal Student Aid website. The video below outlines the process and more information is available on the OneStop Enrollment Services & Management website.

For any further questions about FAFSA or creating an FSA ID, contact the OneStop Enrollment Services & Management office or visit their offices in PC 130.