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Free FAFSA Assistance Program Expanding
[August 27, 2014]

Free FAFSA Assistance Program Expanding


SACRAMENTO, Calif. --(Business Wire)--

For more than five years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. (SFAS) has worked in collaboration with various entities to provide free services in the form of professional assistance with filing the FAFSA (the federal application for student aid) and personalized college planning information to populations in need. These efforts have served more than 56,000 low-income families, adults seeking to be reskilled and persons with visual impairments.

This innovative program has provided students the opportunity to receive professional assistance from trained specialists who help prepare and review each application for accuracy, ensure that the application is successfully submitted to the federal processor and provide detailed information on the financial aid process.

"Recent analysis and feedback from participants in our Access for All® program has encouraged us to look for opportunities to expand upon its success. The FAFSA is an important step in the college planning process and, for many, the key to making a college education possible. Students helped by our company are extremely grateful for the assistance and relieved to have the task completed correctly with our trained FAFSA specialists," said Bob Szrot, Direct of Communications for SFAS.

Studies have shown:

  • Students who have filed a FAFSA have 72% higher odds of persisting in college than their peers who do not file. 1
  • High school senirs and high school graduates who receive FAFSA assistance were 25% - 30% more likely to enroll in college. 2
  • Pell Grant eligible individuals, who received assistance in preparing their FAFSA, increased 13% - 33% compared to those that filed without assistance. 2
  • An estimated 2.3 million students would have qualified for the Pell Grant but did not submit the FAFSA, missing out on thousands of dollars of valuable student financial aid. 3



"Our company will continue to look for ways to expand the program including partnering with other like-minded organizations," said Szrot. "Our belief is that the challenges that make one feel a college education is not obtainable can be overcome when caring groups work together, similar to our collaboration with the New Mexico Commission for the Blind, uAspire, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and other supporters of our Access for All program. We look forward to our efforts to expand the program to serve even more students."

Organizations and those who would like to participate in the 2015 Access for All program are encouraged to contact Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. at [email protected].


About Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. (www.SFAS.com), the nation's oldest fee-based FAFSA preparation and advisory firm, advises students and their families on how to successfully obtain the most student aid possible to achieve their education dreams. Since 1991, its knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors have accurately prepared FAFSA applications on behalf of clients, as authorized by Congress. The company offers its services both online at www.FAFSA.com and via telephone at 1-866-514-8938. More than 10,000 client testimonials are posted at www.FAFSA.com/clientfeedback.

© Student Financial Aid Services, Inc., 2014. All Rights Reserved. Other company, product or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

1 McKinney, L. & Novak, H. (2011). The Consequences of Leaving money on the Table: Examining Persistence among Students Who Do Not File a FAFSA. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 41(3)

2 Eric P. Bettinger et al., "The Role of Simplification and Information in College Decisions: Results from the H&R Block FAFSA Experiment," the National Bureau of Economic Research, July 2009.

3 Mark Kantrowitz, "Analysis of Why Some Students Do Not Apply for Financial Aid," April 2009, http://www.finaid.org/educators/20090427CharacteristicsOfNonApplicants.pdf


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