2024-25 FAFSA Processing Information and Resources
Initial Application Delays
- The 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was released publicly for small time increments on Dec. 30, 2023, as part of a soft launch of the new, streamlined application. Typically, the FAFSA is released annually on October 1.
- The application is now available 24/7, however there are many technical issues the U.S. Department of Education is diligently working through resolving.
- Many students and parents continue to wait for their FAFSAs to be processed by ED, including the distribution of FAFSA Submission Summaries (formerly known as Student Aid Reports [SAR]).
U.S. Department of Education FAFSA Updates
(New!) Directions for applicants setting up an account on StudentAid.Gov without a Social Security Number (SSN) can be found in this ED Electronic Announcement.
Current Status of 2024-25 FAFSA Processing
ED initially announced that educational institutions would be able to retrieve applicants’ FAFSA data by the end of January 2024. This was further delayed to mid-March 2024. Schools have begun to receive FAFSA data, but only in small batches. Typically, FAFSA data is retrievable mid-October, right after the FAFSA is released to potential applicants.
Delays in retrieving FAFSA data have led to multiple delays in financial aid processing, including assisting students with reviews related to FAFSA rejection and comment codes, FAFSA verification (if selected), and determining students’ financial aid eligibility for the 2024-25 academic year.
As of April 18, 2024, we began providing financial aid offers to students for whom we have received their FAFSA, and whom ED has not identified as affected by one of the technical issues described above.
What You Can Do Now
Complete Financial Check-In (FCI)
Complete the FAFSA as soon as possible
You will need your:
Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID: This is your key to gaining access to the FAFSA and most other federal aid sites. You need your Social Security number (SSN) and your own email address to create an FSA ID. If you have a contributor on your FAFSA (ie. parent or spouse), they will need their own FSA IDs, and they need to be set up with their own email addresses, separate from yours.
Financial Information (if applicable): Remember, you and any contributors will be required to provide consent and approval to have IRS federal tax information transferred directly into your FAFSA form through the Financial Aid Direct Data Exchange. If you do not provide consent and approval, you will be ineligible for federal financial aid.
- You and your parents’ or spouse’s (if applicable) Social Security Number(s) and Date of Birth
- Federal Income Tax Returns
- Records of child support received
- Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts
- Net worth of investments, businesses, and farm
Your Schools of Interest: While completing the FAFSA, you will get to select the schools you want to receive your FAFSA information. Make sure to add Liberty University to the list. If needed, our school code is 010392
Submit an application for admissions
If you haven’t applied yet, you are missing out! Learn more about what Liberty has to offer you and submit an admission application at Apply.Liberty.edu.
Still on the fence? Come visit! We would love to show you around Liberty, so you can truly get a feel for campus life. There are multiple events and tours coming up this spring and summer, and we’ll even help reimburse your travel expenses.
Lock in your spot at Liberty
As a Liberty student, you must complete FCI to:
- Unlock the ability to register for your first set of classes (applicable to new, residential students only)
- Choose where you want to live on campus (residential students)
- Select your meal plan (residential students)
- Finalize your payment arrangement for the semester.
How We Can Help
New Residential Students
The Student Accounts Office has provided additional payment plans within FCI to help break up your initial account payments into smaller amounts while waiting for your financial aid to be applied.
Returning Residential Students
Your Fall 2024 FCI deadline was extended to June 17, 2024, to provide you more time to finalize your enrollment and financial plans while working through the FAFSA processing delays.
The Student Accounts Office has also provided additional payment plans within FCI to help break up your initial account payments in much smaller amounts, while waiting for your financial aid to be applied.
Our Net Price Calculator (NPC) is an excellent tool to use to estimate your financial aid, including, federal grants and loans, Military student financial aid, and Liberty-provided discounts and scholarships.
You’ll answer questions about your educational plans, the number of people in your household, estimated annual income, and other questions that are similar to what you would see when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Flexible Payment Plans
Payment plans are an excellent way to break up an account balance over a period of time, and Liberty’s Student Accounts Office has set up multiple plans within Financial Check-In (FCI), to help you and your family plan out funding your education. Our payment plans are interest-free, and they draft automatically from your bank account or credit/debit card provided to Liberty.
We have many students who opt to complete FCI while they are waiting for their financial aid to be processed. You can set up a payment plan and make smaller, reoccurring payments until your financial aid is ready. Once your aid has been applied to your student account, simply re-complete FCI to lower your payment amounts, or possibly remove the need for a payment plan at all, depending on how much you’ve already paid. If there is a credit after your financial aid is applied, it can be refunded to you.
Nervous about committing to a payment plan? Just remember, if for some reason you opt to not enroll at Liberty, what you paid will be refunded to you, to the same payment method you used.