Go! Initiative encourages students to apply for aid

The Pennsylvania Department of Education recently joined Slippery Rock University and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency to promote the PA FAFSA Go! initiative and remind students to fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the academic coming year.

“Over the past few years, FAFSA completion has been down and millions of dollars have been left on the table by Pennsylvania learners,” Dr. Tanya I. Garcia, PDE’s Deputy Secretary and Commissioner for Postsecondary and Higher Education said a news released dated Oct. 3.

“We want to make sure that all students who are eligible to complete a FAFSA get the assistance they need to access affordable higher education,” Garcia continued.

The FAFSA is an application required to apply for federal student aid such as federal grants, work-study and loans to help pay for college.

PA FAFSA Go! is a cross-collaborative campaign to bring together professionals who are supporting high school seniors and postsecondary students in completing their first FAFSA or their renewal FAFSA for 2023-2024.

The high school class of 2021 left behind an estimated $3.75 billion in Pell grants by not completing the FAFSA – dollars that students do not have to repay.

PDE has teamed up with the Governor’s Office, along with the Pa. Higher Education Assistance Agency, the Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the Pennsylvania Association of College Admission Counseling and the Pennsylvania School Counselors Association to create the PA FAFSA Go! campaign, urging students to complete their 2023-24 FAFSA without delay.

PA FAFSA Go! partners are committed to providing support for FAFSA completion events, directing students to resources at their high school or postsecondary institution, providing a tool kit of resources for schools, students and their families and ensuring that Pennsylvania learners are not missing any of the free dollars for which they qualify.

Professionals at institutions of higher education and school districts can commit to FOCUS on FAFSA at PDE’s website, which will provide resources and ensure everyone is at the table to help.

“At Slippery Rock University, we’ve taken great strides to encourage our students to complete their financial aid forms so they can maximize the value of their education and be good stewards of resources available to them,” Alyssa Dobson, SRU director of financial aid and scholarships, said in the recent news release.

“We’re honored to be recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as an example for them launching this initiative across the state and ensuring more students are completing their FAFSA forms in a timely fashion.”

Continuing his support for increasing access to postsecondary education, Gov. Tom Wolf secured a $220 million increase in funding for higher education institutions in his 2022-23 budget. Since 2015, the Wolf administration has increased education funding by more than $3.7 billion.

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