Amid ongoing issues with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form this year, the City University of New York (CUNY) is looking to help.
Dr. Jonathan Collins
Part of a new, larger concerted effort from New York state government to boost FAFSA completion rates during a newly proclaimed Financial Aid Awareness Month, the CUNY Financial Aid Support Team (FAST) will partner with New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), the New York State Higher Education Service Corporation (HESC), and public library systems to provide high school and college students personalized assistance with the financial aid form.
"Students – particularly those who come from low-income or underserved communities – rely on financial aid packages when deciding whether to attend college," said CUNY Chancellor Dr. Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. "We don’t want the unprecedented delays and changes in this year’s federal aid application process to deter them from coming to CUNY or any college."
The initiative will train more than 200 college-age peer counselors from CUNY and NYCPS' ongoing College and Career Bridge for All program. They will help high school seniors with the journey of applying to and entering college, including the financial aid process, according to CUNY officials.
More than 20 CUNY students will also be hired to give financial aid support to students and families in New York City’s public schools in various settings – CUNY campuses, New York City public libraries, community centers, and high schools.
FAST will begin April 12 and continue until the end of this September, a CUNY spokesperson said in an email. The initiative is for students seeking financial aid for college this coming fall.
The program will help ensure that high schoolers complete their FAFSA, Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), and NYS DREAM Act applications, in addition to helping current CUNY students with their annual financial aid applications, the CUNY spokesperson wrote.
