ALBANY, New York (WWNY) – The SUNY system is stepping up efforts to connect high schoolers with financial aid.
A $500,000 grant from the ECMC will pay for the State University of New York to expand outreach to students so they know what their options are for loans and grants.
SUNY leaders say because of complications with a new student aid application form, fewer people are completing the FAFSA process.
In New York, that meant more than $200 million of available aid was unused last year.
“That’s really worrisome because it means students aren’t learning the aid that is available to them. It’s almost like buying a lottery ticket and then never checking the numbers. We want to make sure students have that information and this is the outreach funding that we need to help with that work,” said SUNY Chancellor John King.
SUNY has taken numerous steps to assist students and their families in applying for financial aid to make college more affordable including:
- FAFSA information sessions across the state, including FAFSA Completion events in Rochester, Buffalo, and New York City;
- Virtual FAFSA completion workshops, held in English and Spanish, to help families complete the FAFSA;
- Working with State partners and school districts to develop and promote online resources including print-ready resources for counselors and students to help guide them through the financial aid process; and
- Continued engagement of the SUNY FAFSA Completion Corps, an AmeriCorps funded program that supports nearly 50 SUNY students serving as near-peer mentors to help students complete the FAFSA, which launched in October 2023.
The next academic year starts in six weeks, so there’s still time left to apply for aid.