Free on-site assistance available for students submitting their 2023-24 FAFSA
With the clock ticking and student aid awards at stake for thousands of students, PHEAA representatives and other officials will host a “Complete your FASFA” session at Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, Monday, October 17 at 4 p.m.
If a student does not submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), they could miss out on thousands of dollars of gift aid, including PA State Grant and Pell Grant awards, that could make the difference between an affordable higher education or a long-term burden of unmanageable student loan debt.
During the “Complete your FAFSA” session, students will receive hands-on help from financial aid administrators to complete and file the FAFSA. The event is one of several Erie’s Public Schools is holding throughout the year to encourage more students to pursue post-secondary education and to help inform and support district families throughout the financial aid process. Two additional sessions will be held at Erie High School on Tuesday, October 18, from 4-7 PM and at the Patrick J. DiPaolo Student Success Center at Emerson-Gridley on Thursday, November 3, from 3-5 PM.
The FAFSA is the free federal form that must be completed for students to be considered for most types of state and federal student aid, including the PA State Grant Program, which is administered by PHEAA, in addition to the Federal Pell Grant, the Pennsylvania Targeted Industry Program (PA-TIP), work-study programs, various scholarships, and federal student loans.
To help students and families prepare for the FAFSA submission process, PHEAA created an easy-to-understand FAFSA Checklist (www.pheaa.org/partner-access/toolkit-downloads/fafsa/pdf/FAFSA_Checklist.pdf) which outlines all the items and information needed to ensure successful submission.
To successfully submit their FAFSA, participants should obtain their Federal Student Aid Account (FSA ID) at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account prior to attending a workshop.
