As the landscape of financial aid continues to evolve, higher education institutions are bracing for significant changes brought about by FAFSA simplification. Ultimate Consulting can help navigate this transition effectively and ensure a smooth experience for both students and staff.

The 2024-2025 FAFSA marks a significant departure from the FAFSA we are all familiar with. The Department of Education’s “simplification” will require a heavier lift from your financial aid staff, especially in the first cycle, as students complete the new FAFSA for the first time. In addition, your IT team will have to start from scratch and rebuild how FAFSA data is loaded into your student information system from the Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR). For example, colleges using Ellucian’s Banner ERP will have to make over 200 changes to back end tables in order to package and award student aid. That is a huge task that will take away from IT staff who are already fully engaged with existing projects, and the clock is ticking.

Partner with Ultimate Consulting to make the necessary changes to your campus systems without overburdening existing staff and having to put ongoing projects on hold. Ultimate Consulting’s team of consultants combine unparalleled experience with industry-leading affordability.

Ultimate Consulting can provide: 

• Financial aid leadership
• Project management
• Temporary IT staff (functional, developers, analysts) to implement the changes

Ready to discuss your plan for implementing the simplified FAFSA? Ultimate Consulting is always here to listen.