Madison Kwiecinski – Editor-in-Chief

Mvk5945@psu.edu 

The FAFSA is an important step for college students in the financial aid process. Pennsylvania has faced record-breaking low numbers of students completing the FAFSA in recent years, leaving high amounts of financial aid money essentially left unclaimed. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Education recently joined with Slippery Rock University and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency in order to promote the initiative “PA FAFSA GO!” 

PA FAFSA GO! Is a collaboration initiative in order to campaign, meant to bring together people who support postsecondary education students in completing their FAFSA.  

According to Dr. Tanya I. Garcia, the PA Department of Education Deputy Secretary and Commissions for Postsecondary and Higher Education, “Over the past few years, FAFSA completion has been down and millions of dollars have been left on the table by Pennsylvania learners. 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.” 

The FAFSA is the first step in applying for federal financial aid, and it also assists in receiving certain levels of state financial aid as well, as it is commonly required on other aid applications. Work-study positions, grants, and loans for college often require FAFSA completion. 

Pennsylvania has a grant they distribute based on financial need called the Pell grant, that students must complete their FAFSA in order to apply for. The 2021 freshmen class left an estimated $3.75 billion in Pell grants unclaimed – all of which is money that students would not have had to pay back. 

The PA Department of Education, the Governor’s office, PHEAA, the PA Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the PA Association of College Admission Counseling, and the PA School Counselors Association have all teamed up to be a part of PA FAFSA Go! The initiative plans to provide FAFSA completion events across the state, direct students toward financial aid resources, and provide toolkits to educators in order to expand their resources to help. 

“It is so important for students to complete. It’s their gateway to receiving financial aid from the federal government, from the schools themselves, and of course, also from Pennsylvania,” stated Wendy Dunlap, a regional PHEAA Access Partner. 

The 2023-2024 FAFSA became available on October 1, and students are urged to apply as soon as possible.