Title: The FAFSA Completion Project
Topic: Post-High School Transition Program
Program Start : October 2012
Program End : June 2019
Funding Source: Say Yes to Education and Buffalo Public Schools
In 2013, researchers and volunteers from the University at Buffalo partnered with the Buffalo Public Schools (BPS) and Say Yes to Education Buffalo to create an intervention designed to assist students and families with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Say Yes to Education had just announced its tuition guarantee for graduates of BPS and the public charter high schools. To be eligible, students were required to complete their federal and state financial aid applications by April 1. The project was designed to partner with school counselors who, in many schools, were spending a significant time helping students complete their forms. In 2013, 40 volunteers helped BPS over the course of two months increase its FAFSA completion rates by 61.7% in a single year.
In 2014, responding largely to the feedback from school counselors and Say Yes to Education, the project expanded in several important ways. First, the project began a month earlier during mid-January to give students and families more time to gather the necessary information to complete the forms. Second, the project timeline was extended from April 1 to May 1 to provide more targeted financial literacy support and to help student's correct errors on their applications. Third, the project was expanded to serve the public charter schools whose students are also eligible for the tuition guarantee. Finally, the Project team assumed responsibility for BPS's participation in a federal FAFSA Completion pilot study designed to share FAFSA completion data with school counselors. In order to accomplish all of this, the project expanded from 40 to 60 and was coordinated by a team of researchers, graduate assistants, and ten interns who assumed responsibility for the collaboration between school counselors and the project.
The data suggest that between 892 and 1052 BPS students and 191 charter school students completed their FAFSA applications during the 2014 project period. The number of FAFSA completions for BPS was similar to last year, though slightly lower (5%); the charter schools saw significant increases - some of which is attributable to the project, but the largest increase is due to the fact that Health Sciences Charter School graduated its first class of seniors in 2014. Overall, the project team assisted 665 students and families with their FAFSA forms, 572 New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) applications, and 820 Say Yes registrations on-line. To put those numbers into context, volunteers helped between two thirds and three quarters of all FAFSA filers and as many as 40% of all Say Yes registrants. It is difficult to determine the proportion of TAP applications completed but, assuming all FAFSA filers completed the TAP application as well, volunteers assisted with more than half of all state financial aid applications. The results suggest that the FAFSA Completion Project makes an important contribution by helping students maintain eligibility for the Say Yes to Education tuition guarantee.
In 2014, responding largely to the feedback from school counselors and Say Yes to Education, the project expanded in several important ways. First, the project began a month earlier during mid-January to give students and families more time to gather the necessary information to complete the forms. Second, the project timeline was extended from April 1 to May 1 to provide more targeted financial literacy support and to help student's correct errors on their applications. Third, the project was expanded to serve the public charter schools whose students are also eligible for the tuition guarantee. Finally, the Project team assumed responsibility for BPS's participation in a federal FAFSA Completion pilot study designed to share FAFSA completion data with school counselors. In order to accomplish all of this, the project expanded from 40 to 60 and was coordinated by a team of researchers, graduate assistants, and ten interns who assumed responsibility for the collaboration between school counselors and the project.
The data suggest that between 892 and 1052 BPS students and 191 charter school students completed their FAFSA applications during the 2014 project period. The number of FAFSA completions for BPS was similar to last year, though slightly lower (5%); the charter schools saw significant increases - some of which is attributable to the project, but the largest increase is due to the fact that Health Sciences Charter School graduated its first class of seniors in 2014. Overall, the project team assisted 665 students and families with their FAFSA forms, 572 New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) applications, and 820 Say Yes registrations on-line. To put those numbers into context, volunteers helped between two thirds and three quarters of all FAFSA filers and as many as 40% of all Say Yes registrants. It is difficult to determine the proportion of TAP applications completed but, assuming all FAFSA filers completed the TAP application as well, volunteers assisted with more than half of all state financial aid applications. The results suggest that the FAFSA Completion Project makes an important contribution by helping students maintain eligibility for the Say Yes to Education tuition guarantee.
P-12 Education/District Partner: Buffalo City School District
Department Contact Information Department of Guidance and School Counseling
816-3500
Community-Based Partner: Say Yes to Education, Buffalo
Higher Education Partner: University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Department Contact Information Graduate School of Education
645-1096
Higher Education Partner: University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Department Contact Information Office of Financial Aid
645-8232
Outcome 1
Number of FAFSA Applications Submitted
Outcome 2
Number of TAP Applications Submitted
Outcome 3
Number of Say Yes Registrations Submitted
