HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has announced that it has partnered with national nonprofit uAspire to launch a free statewide helpdesk to assist students with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application.
“The best way to ensure access to affordable postsecondary education is by filling out the FAFSA, and this new helpdesk will make the process easier for all applicants,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. “Over the summer months, students can’t just stop by a school counselor’s office after school to ask questions about the FAFSA – that’s where this helpdesk comes in. Pennsylvania is proud to offer this free service to current and prospective postsecondary students and their families so they can receive the support they need at a time and place that’s convenient for them.”
FAFSA completion nationwide is at crisis-low levels due to delays in the application release and subsequent processing and data errors, which is why it is now more important than ever for Pennsylvania to lend support to postsecondary students. PDE has worked closely with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, higher education institutions, and high school administrators to increase support for students who need help completing the FAFSA or addressing errors on their FAFSA application. The launch of the new helpdesk ensures that students have the help they need during the summer months when they can’t rely on school resources.
This summer, Pennsylvania students, families, and aspiring postsecondary learners can text 313-PA-FAFSA (313-723-2372) to receive personalized support through a scheduled phone call or virtual advising session. Assistance is available in English and Spanish. In addition to the FAFSA helpdesk, the partnership will also provide postsecondary practitioners with free professional development on all aspects of FAFSA completion, including corrections and verification, as well as financial aid offer review.
FAFSA is the sole gateway to all federal, state, and most institutional financial aid in Pennsylvania, including student loans available for all income levels. The FAFSA form allows students to request federal grants, work-study funds, and loans, all in one application. It is also required to gain access to Pennsylvania state grants from PHEAA. This year, students can access up to $7,395 in Pell grants by filling out the form, and toolkits and resources are available online for counselors and partners, students and parents, and college access practitioners.
For more than 35 years, uAspire has helped students and their families complete the FAFSA. Last year, uAspire provided more than 1.5 million students across 34 states with financial aid advising and offered training and technical assistance to practitioners. This partnership was made possible by an award from the FAFSA Student Support Strategy program administered by Educational Credit Management Corporation in concert with the U.S. Department of Education.
The Shapiro administration has made higher education a priority again in Pennsylvania. After decades of disinvestment, the 2024-25 budget invests nearly $60 million to make postsecondary education more accessible and affordable to Pennsylvanians, with a $35.1 million increase for Pennsylvania State System universities, a $15.7 million increase for community colleges, and an additional $143 million to PHEAA to make college more affordable for Pennsylvania’s students.
Additionally, this budget establishes a State Board of Higher Education to coordinate the Commonwealth’s higher education sectors and is tasked with developing a statewide strategic plan and collecting data from postsecondary institutions to inform decision-makers, regulating community colleges, developing a performance-based funding formula for state-related universities, developing procedures for when postsecondary institutions close, and establishing a comprehensive data system and collecting data from colleges and universities statewide.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit the website at: https://www.education.pa.gov/, or follow PDE on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Pinterest.
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