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6 WAYS TO REV UP YOUR SCHOOL’S FAFSA FILING RATE

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One of students’ biggest complaints about college is the cost.

Yet many don’t use the help available to them.

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The first and most vital step potential students must take to access grants and school loans is to fill out a

Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA).

So why don’t more students complete the application?

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According to a report issued by CollegeBoard, only

58% of Pell-eligible students who attended community college in 2007-08 year applied for financial aid.

And four-year public institutions only saw

3 out of 4eligible students apply for aid.

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The financial aid office isn’t the only one that should pay attention to FAFSA filing rates.

Students who file FAFSAs are more likely to enroll in classes and to graduate.

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Students who file a FAFSA have

72% greater odds of persistence, or returning for a second year of school at the same institution, than those who

did not file, according to a study funded by the National Association of Student Financial Aid

Administrators (NASFAA).

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Next, we provide six solutions to help your institution increase the number of students who complete their

FAFSA applications and attend your school.

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1. START SOONER

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Cooperate with high school districts in your area to make sure students are being counseled about their

financing options for higher education and the steps to attain funding.

1. START SOONER

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The nationwide average ratio of high school students to counselors is

460 to 1.

What can you do to make it as easy as possible for counselors to disseminate information about how to

attend and pay for your school?

1. START SOONER

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Or deliver the information to students yourself. You can arrange a task force of your financial aid officers or student advocates to present helpful information to high school juniors and seniors about how to fill out

their FAFSAs.

1. START SOONER

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Does your school have booths at local college fairs?

If so, send a financial aid department representative to ensure that students are getting the right

information about how to pay for college.

1. START SOONER

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2. SIMPLIFY INFORMATION

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Communication doesn’t occur until the message has been received, and students may not be receiving your

information if it’s clouded with financial aid jargon.

Link to information with helpful phrases they might actually use, such as “Paying for College” or “Find Out How Financial Aid Can Help You.”

2. SIMPLIFY INFORMATION

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Much of the reason students complain about the FAFSA website has to do with how the younger

generation communicates and searches for information.

2. SIMPLIFY INFORMATION

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They want their information, and they want it easily and immediately.

Use simple language geared toward a 9th grade reading level, and never be afraid of linking to

resources or definitions (create a page for these – you do not want to direct them off your

website unless you must).

2. SIMPLIFY INFORMATION

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3. FORMAT WEBSITE CONTENT

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Students of the digital era are sold to every single day. Paid advertising adorns nearly every website, and

Internet users have become adept at scanning past the clutter.

Unfortunately, your website has to compete with all the other places they could go for information.

3. FORMAT WEBSITE CONTENT

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3. FORMAT WEBSITE CONTENT

This means you must format your content with:

Headlines• Bullet points &

Call-to-Action Buttons

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If the info students want doesn’t have some kind of formatting pointing at it like a neon sign, they’ll go

elsewhere.

And “elsewhere” you can’t control the information they receive about your institution, financial aid

or college in general.

3. FORMAT WEBSITE CONTENT

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If you want students to take a certain action, highlight that action with a button, bolding or a different font

color. Avoid large copy blocks.

“ ”

3. FORMAT WEBSITE CONTENT

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4. ALERT STUDENTS OF DEADLINES…REPEATEDLY.

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1 in 10students who don’t apply for FAFSA cite missing the

deadline as the reason, according to Missed Opportunities Revisited: New Information on Students

Who Do Not Apply for Financial Aid.

4. ALERT STUDENTS OF DEADLINES… REPEATEDLY

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There are many channels through which your office can notify students of important deadlines, and we suggest

you utilize as many of them as possible.

Our suggestions:

4. ALERT STUDENTS OF DEADLINES… REPEATEDLY

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• Offer text reminders students may sign up for when they are accepted into the school

• Update all social media with reminders for both parents and students

• Send dynamic emails in which students may opt in to have important dates added to their Google calendar

4. ALERT STUDENTS OF DEADLINES… REPEATEDLY

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• Send email reminders

• Feature the FAFSA application deadline at the top of the Financial Aid home page

• Feature a link called “Why is the deadline important?” to a page explaining which types of funding are “first come first serve,” how long processing times are and other reasons it’s important to file on time

4. ALERT STUDENTS OF DEADLINES… REPEATEDLY

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5. MAKE VERIFICATION EASY BUT ALSO SECURE

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Even students who initially file a FAFSA might fall out of the system during the verification process.

In 5 Steps to Improve Your FAFSA Verification Process, we address tips for simplifying verification on

the staff side so it is quick and painless.

5. MAKE VERIFICATION EASY BUT ALSO SECURE

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If the verification process becomes an overwhelming pain point, some students will bypass financial aid and,

often, not pursue classes.

5. MAKE VERIFICATION EASY BUT ALSO SECURE

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Many institutions have attempted to make the verification process easier by allowing students and

parents to email documents.

However, this is not a secure manner of transmitting sensitive documents, and many parents and students –

rightly so – balk at the method.

5. MAKE VERIFICATION EASY BUT ALSO SECURE

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Often the only alternative is to bring the documents in person or send through the mail, which delays the

award process.

5. MAKE VERIFICATION EASY BUT ALSO SECURE

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Instead, use a software like StudentVerification, an automated, student self-service portal. One of the software’s functions is to secure data and files with

government-grade data encryption.

Through StudentVerification, your school will give students and parents one central place where they can

log in, upload docs and track and complete their submission progress.

5. MAKE VERIFICATION EASY BUT ALSO SECURE

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6. SURVEY YOUR STUDENTS

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Many studies theorize why students do not apply for FAFSA, especially low-income students who are

most in need of aid.

Obviously, solving this issue will increase your school’s enrollment rates.

6. SURVEY YOUR STUDENTS

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The best way to solve it is to conduct your own research.

Encourage your school to conduct surveys and find out exactly why your student population is or isn’t

completing FAFSA applications.

6. SURVEY YOUR STUDENTS

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Unique characteristics of your student population or your student services may be contributing to lower FAFSA filing rates, resulting in missed enrollment

opportunities.

Only when you have a clear idea of the exact problem can you craft the best solution for your

institution and students.

6. SURVEY YOUR STUDENTS

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THANK YOU.

campuslogicfrom the team at