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Your guide to help North Carolina students and families pay for college.

The Better FAFSA for the 2024-2025 award year brings a new and streamlined approach to the financial aid process. As you assist families navigating the Better FAFSA process, we’re here to be your guide in staying up to date with the latest news and resources. Together, we can help more North Carolina students plan and pay for college.

The Better FAFSA for the 2024-2025 award year brings a new and streamlined approach to the financial aid process. As you assist families navigating the Better FAFSA process, we’re here to be your guide in staying up to date with the latest news and resources. Together, we can help more North Carolina students plan and pay for college.

Upcoming Events, Trainings & Webinars

26

Sep

Assisting with Special Family Situations

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

26

Sep

Getting Ready for the Better FAFSA Webinar

01:00 PM - 03:00 PM

17

Oct

Preparing for the Better FAFSA

02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

23

Oct

Getting Ready for the Better FAFSA Webinar

01:00 PM - 03:00 PM

20

Nov

Getting Ready for the Better FAFSA Webinar

01:00 PM - 03:00 PM

04

Dec

Getting Ready for the Better FAFSA Webinar

01:00 PM - 03:00 PM

Latest FAFSA Updates

21 Sept 2023

You can now access the Federal Student Aid Estimator tool

The Federal Student Aid Estimator for the 2024-2025 award year is now available! This tool can be used to help students and families understand their options for paying for college or career/technical school by providing an estimate of how much federal student aid they may be eligible for. The estimator is free to use and could take 5-10 minutes to fill out.

Access the Federal Student Aid Estimator: Federal Student Aid Estimator | Federal Student Aid

8 Sept 2023

How to assess the net value of a family farm?

With the new FAFSA, families no longer have an exemption for valuing family farms if they have fewer than 100 employees. For those with AGI’s greater than $60,000, they will now need to include the net value of their family farm on the FAFSA. This has some families worried and wondering how to estimate the net value of their family farm. FSA has provided the following guidance:

Applicants should determine the total net value of all farm assets and subtract the net value of their principal residence to determine the final value of their farm assets. The principal residence may include the family’s home, as well as structures and land adjacent to the home that are not being used, stored, or sold for farming or other commercial activities. Property values are generally assessed at a rate that considers the use of the property and the value of the land. Applicants and their families may refer to their property tax assessments from municipal, county, or state governments to help determine and separate the value of their principal residence from other property. Debts owed against the principal residence—such as a mortgage—should also be subtracted from the assessed value of the residence to determine the net value. [Guidance issued 08/04/2023]

Source: FAFSA Simplification Questions and Answers (ed.gov)

About Us

The College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) is a service provided by the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) to help students plan, apply, and pay for college. The NC FAFSA Hub was created for high school counselors and college access professionals to learn about the latest changes coming to the new FAFSA.

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