ATTENTION! FAFSA Presents the NEW myStudentAid Mobile App

The FAFSA form is the first step, and often the first barrier, for those looking to attain a postsecondary education. According to FCAN, in Florida only 49% of high school seniors during the 2017-2018 filled out their FAFSA form, 59% of which would qualify for Pell Grants. That means those high school seniors who didn't fill out a FAFSA form missed out on millions of dollars in Pell Grant aid alone. So what is stopping more than half of all Florida high school seniors from filling out FAFSA? This is what we see students saying across the nation - FAFSA is complicated, the form is long, and verification further complicates the process. This year Bill Gates advocated for simplifying the federal financial aid form. Two of his arguments included support for simplifying the FAFSA form process, and taking the application mobile. Today students have more access to phones with internet access than they do traditional computers. By going mobile, the FAFSA application can reach those students who could not or would not fill it out in previous years. 

This month the U.S. Department of Education announced they have released the beta version for a  new mobile app called myStudentAid. As of now students and parents can fill out the form, submit their FAFSA application and view their student loan history. In the future the app will be updated to include the ability to correct a previously filed FAFSA form, renew an application or access tax information from the IRS. The U.S. Department of Education has also simplified the online form so that students are not answering redundant or non-applicable questions.

Link to Apple app store
Link to Google Play  

Are you planning on using the new mobile app to fill out a FAFSA form this year? What do you think of the changes the Department of Education is making to the process? Tweet us @CentralFL_Can!

FAFSA announces website redesign!

Great news for students and parents – the FAFSA website has officially launched its new mobile-friendly redesign. Visit fafsa.gov to check it out, and get a head start on your FAFSA today.

Increasing FAFSA completion is a great investment into college access, but how much does making FAFSA easier for students and parents really matter? NCAN  states that if we “increase the number of filers by 500,000 nationally, or by just 2 percent, it would yield $1.4 billion in additional Pell Grants annually”. Further, they argue that “high school seniors in higher-poverty school districts are less likely to complete the FAFSA than students in wealthier districts”.

That's why it's great news that the FAFSA website has officially launched its mobile-friendly design that will make the application available to students and parents no matter what device they have. By making the financial aid application more accessible and understandable, it will be easier for students of any background to complete their form. They also reorganized and reworded parts of the site that have previously caused problems and resulted in failure to complete the filing process. For example, now questions are grouped in a different order to make the form less confusing with fewer pages to fill out. Later this summer FAFSA will be introducing its own mobile application to make filing for financial aid even easier – stay tuned! And don't forget, FAFSA opens on October 1st - start getting ready now by checking out all the resources available at https://fafsa.ed.gov/

Want reminders for FAFSA, school application deadlines, SAT/ACT test dates and more? Click here to sign up for text alerts from CFCAN! Questions? Tweet us @CentralFL_Can or find us on Facebook.

WELCOME to our new Chair of the Adult Learners Workgroup!

CFCAN would like to welcome Brian Lucas as the new Chair of the Adult Learners Workgroup! Read his bio below. In 2018 the Adult Learners workgroup will prioritize influencing the culture
in Central Florida to be encouraging towards adult learners. They will also focus on expanding FAFSA completion efforts to target more adult learners. To join the Adult Learners Workgroup or learn more, you can contact Brian at Brian.Lucas@phoenix.edu. 

"For the past 12 years, Brian Lucas has been dedicated to enriching lives through higher education at University of Phoenix. Brian currently serves as the Campus Director for the University of Phoenix – Central Florida Campus where he oversees the market and community outreach strategy for the Orlando and Tampa markets while maintaining a focus on classroom excellence and student experience for the thousands of students in the Central Florida market. He began his career with the University of Phoenix in 2006 and has worked in the enrollment, training & development, and campus services departments of the University.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Faulkner University (2004), a Master of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Valdosta State University (2006), and a Master of Science in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix (2009).

In the community, Brian actively supports the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida & Tampa Bay through volunteer activities and service as a judge for the State Youth of the Year program. He is a member of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) and currently serves on the FAPSC Legislative Committee. He is also active as a member of the Central Florida College Access Network (CFCAN) & Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association (CFHLA). Brian is also a proud graduate of Leadership Orlando hosted by the Central Florida Partnership as a member of Class 91.

A native of Mobile, Alabama, Brian loves to spend time with his family (wife and 1 son) and friends. He is a passionate sports fan and loves to attend live sporting events. His others passions included reading, listening to podcasts & music, and playing golf."

CFCAN announces new Scholarship Survey tool!

Have you ever set off with the goal to find scholarships for yourself or a student close to you, but felt confusion and frustration after sorting through all of the different requirements? CFCAN created the Scholarship Survey with you in mind. All scholarships in our eligibility survey are looking for students in Central Florida. The survey asks you questions about your demographic information, GPA, major, school choice, and more. With each question you answer the survey will determine whether you might qualify scholarships according to your responses. We want you to spend less time sorting through requirements and eligibility, and more time on a strong application!

Check out the new CFCAN Scholarship Survey here.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at goingtocollege@hfuw.org, Tweet us @CentralFL_Can or find us on Facebook!

Central Florida CAN's New Tool: Data & Research

Did you know that Central Florida College Access Network has been adding tools to the website? Under the resources tab on our site, CFCAN has added a BRAND NEW Data & Research section.

Central Florida College Access Network is committed to engaging Central Florida in meaningful work around creating a robust economy filled with educated and qualified individuals. We pride ourselves on being driven by both our Central Florida environment AND strong data from outside sources. This is where our new website page comes in. Whether you're a student looking for new ways to understand financial aid, an institution trying to understand previous work around college access, or someone interested in the state of Central Florida education, the Data & Research page is for you! Not only is this research meant to drive our work as a College Access Network, it's meant to be shared with other like-minded individuals and organizations so that we can all work together towards ensuring Central Florida Thrives!

This page is intended to be continuously working, as we get more data we will add it! So read away, check back later for more information, and if you know of any research we've left out you can contact us here, tweet us @CentralFL_can or send an email to goingtocollege@hfuw.org.