Students in public housing in nine cities are set to get “education navigators” to help them fill out the often onerous form known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, thanks to a $2.5 million “demonstration” program the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Friday.
Several financial aid experts say the investment is a good one given the complexities associated with filling out the FAFSA.
“It sounds like a good investment because about 2 million students who are already eligible for Pell grants don’t complete the FAFSA, and that’s just those who are in college,” said Lauren Asher, president of The Institute for College Access & Success, or TICAS.
“There are other students who can’t get through the process or don’t even know that they need to do it.”
Indeed, an analysis by NerdWallet earlier this year found that about 1.4 million high school students failed to fill out the FAFSA in 2014 and consequently left $2.7 billion on the table.
“Those who are eligible for aid and not accessing it may end up working long hours or cutting back on classes or dropping out because they don’t have the resources to keep up with college and keep a roof over their head,” Asher said.
