FAFSA P.U.S.H.
PREPARING UNDERGRADUATES SUCCESSFULLY
FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
This summer, the Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable (PCPR) and its local, state and national partners are committed to enhancing college access by increasing FAFSA completion rates among 2024 high school graduates. The 2024-2025 FAFSA season has faced challenges with delays and complications impacting completions nationwide.
The FAFSA P.U.S.H. (Preparing Undergraduates Successfully For Higher Education) initiative focuses on assisting students in and around the Greater Philadelphia Region who are at various stages of the completion process, especially those who have started but not finished their FAFSA applications.
With the help of our partners, we will provide workshops, train advisors, support families, and reach out to the community. Our goal is to make it easier for students to get financial aid by having more advisors available, simplifying the completion process, and collaborating with other partners to make FAFSA completion a reality.
Join us in making college dreams possible for more students in the Greater Philadelphia Region!
Digital Press Kit
Thom Butler
Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable
Email: contact@collegepreproundtable.org
Phone: 484-843-1153
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For Immediate Release
“Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable Launches FAFSA P.U.S.H. Initiative to Support College-Bound Students”
Philadelphia, PA – August 15, 2024 – The Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable (PCPR) is excited to announce the launch of the FAFSA P.U.S.H. (Preparing Undergraduates Successfully for Higher Education) initiative, a comprehensive citywide effort aimed at increasing FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) completion rates among 2024 high school graduates in the Greater Philadelphia Region. Completing the FAFSA will enable students to access essential financial aid resources, including federal, state, and institutional funds, which are critical for making postsecondary education affordable and achievable. The FAFSA P.U.S.H. initiative addresses the challenges faced by students due to recent delays and complications in the FAFSA process, helping them access the financial aid necessary to pursue higher education.
FAFSA P.U.S.H. focuses on providing hands-on support through workshops, personalized one-on-one sessions, and professional training for school counselors and community volunteers. With an emphasis on assisting underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation college students, the initiative seeks to ensure equal access to financial aid and higher education opportunities.
“These workshops are crucial because they empower both parents and students with the knowledge and support needed to navigate the complex financial aid process. We understand how overwhelming the FAFSA can be, but through these hands-on sessions, we ensure that every family has the opportunity to unlock the financial resources necessary to make college a reality. Our goal is to remove the barriers that often prevent students from pursuing higher education, and these workshops are a key step in that journey. – said Thomas Butler, Executive Director of the Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable.
FAFSA Completion Workshops:
Join us for a series of in-person FAFSA Support & Completion Workshops at the following dates and locations:
- Date: 8/14/2024 – 9 AM – 2 PM
FAFSA Support & Completion Workshop
Location: Community College of Philadelphia, Main Campus, Philadelphia, PA
Bonnell, Ground Floor-35 Computer Lab
- Date: 8/19/2024 – 9 AM – 2 PM
FAFSA Support & Completion Workshop
Location: Community College of Philadelphia, Main Campus, Philadelphia, PA
FAFSA completion and corrections in multiple computer labs
- Date: 8/22/2024 – 9 AM – 2 PM
FAFSA Support & Completion Workshop
Location: Community College of Philadelphia, Main Campus, Philadelphia, PA
Bonnell, Ground Floor-35 Computer Lab
- Date: 8/27/2024 – 11 AM – 3 PM
FAFSA Support & Completion Workshop
Location: City of Philadelphia School District Office, Lab A, 440 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19130
- Date: 8/28/2024 – 9 AM – 2 PM
FAFSA Support & Completion Workshop
Location: Community College of Philadelphia, Main Campus, Philadelphia, PA
Bonnell, Ground Floor-35 Computer Lab
These workshops will be led by expert advisors who provide step-by-step assistance, ensuring that students and families can navigate the FAFSA application process with ease.
Virtual FAFSA Completion support is also available for one on one assistance to individuals who are not able to attend an in-person event. Details on sign up for support can also be found on the FAFSAPUSH.org website under the “Student” and “Parent” areas.
About the Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable (PCPR):
For over 30 years, PCPR has been a cornerstone in the Philadelphia educational community, dedicated to enhancing college access and success. With a network of over 750 professionals, PCPR leverages its collective expertise to tackle barriers that hinder college enrollment and completion.
The FAFSA P.U.S.H. initiative is a testament to PCPR’s commitment to making higher education attainable for all students in the region.
Get Involved:
We invite students, families, and educators to engage with our initiatives. Visit our website, https://fafsapush.org, for resources, workshop schedules, and more. Together, we can make college dreams a reality.
For More Information:
Visit https://fafsapush.org or contact us at the details provided above.
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Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable
“We Invest In Professionals who Invest in Students”
Use the links below to download information about our initiative.
News coverage for the FAFSA P.U.S.H.
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PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Delays in this year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) rollout have led a local nonprofit to step in with a new initiative to assist students in completing their applications.
The 2024-25 FAFSA was intended to simplify the process for potential college students to apply for financial aid and grants, but the launch has faced unexpected challenges.
“The issues with the rollout have impacted not just students, but also higher education institutions trying to allocate financial aid,” said Thomas Butler, executive director of the Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable. In response, the organization has launched the FAFSA P.U.S.H. initiative to help students navigate and complete the application process.
See full report: https://www.audacy.com/kywnewsradio/news/local/new-program-fafsa-help-confusing-rollout
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Philadelphia NBC 10 reports that workshops are being offered to assist recent high school graduates in applying for financial aid. The College Prep Roundtable is hosting a series of seminars to support families through the FAFSA process, especially as delays have impacted the rollout of this year’s application. This Thursday, a workshop will take place at the Community College of Philadelphia. Additional sessions are scheduled for August 27th at the School District of Philadelphia headquarters and August 28th.
Thom Butler
Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable
Email: contact@collegepreproundtable.org
Phone: 484-843-1153
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Social Media Connections
FAFSA Virtual Coaching Ending on September 30th!
Please contact your school counselor for help!
FOR STUDENTS
Get the Help You Need to Complete Your FAFSA!
This summer, we’re here to support you through every step of your FAFSA application. Schedule a meeting with one of our advisors, text us your questions, or use our online assistant to get the answers you need. Don’t let financial aid obstacles stand in your way—join us at our in-person events or sign up for an online one-on-one session to make your college dreams a reality.
FOR PARENTS
We’re Here to Help Your Student Succeed!
Navigating the FAFSA process can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. We can work with you and your student to answer all your questions and ensure the application is completed correctly. Schedule a meeting, text us for quick answers, or use our online assistant. Take advantage of our in-person events and online one-on-one sessions to get the support you need.
FOR PROFESSIONALS
Become a FAFSA Coach with PCPR!
FOR PARTNERS
Collaborate with Us to Boost FAFSA Completion Rates!
We’re excited to work with our local, state, and national partners to make a real impact this FAFSA season. Schedule a meeting to discuss collaboration opportunities, text us your questions, or use our online assistant for quick support. Together, we can host workshops, train advisors, and engage the community to ensure more students receive the financial aid they need.
LEARN ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS, RESOURCES & FAFSA HELP FROM OUR PARTNERS
Mission
The mission of the Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable is to continuously enhance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of college access and success professionals and other stakeholders who help students matriculate and graduate from institutions of higher education.
Vision
The Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable will be the premiere network of professionals who use college access and success resources, training, and tools to enhance the opportunity for individuals to adapt to and thrive in a global and increasingly complex society.
OUR FRIENDS & PARTNERS
Philly Goes to College
From help with scholarships and financial aid, preparing for the SATs and filling out forms like the FAFSA, to finding and applying to the right school or college, we can be your guide. Our services are citywide and always free.
PhillyGoes2College is Philadelphia Education Fund’s online college access solution. Through this online platform, Philadelphia-area current and prospective students can gain access to critical information on the college and career going process.
Planning for College
Plotting Your Next Move
Knowing what your options are empowers you to find the option that works best for you. Whether you are a middle or high school student or a returning adult, any time is the right time to identify and pursue your college fit.
Applying for College
Stand Out From The Crowd
Use these tips and resources to learn about the college admissions process and to show colleges who you really are by crafting an essay, resume, and application that pack a punch.
PDF Toolbox
Information and resources that you can easily download, print, copy and disperse!
- Applying to College
What goes in the application? How do I apply online? What is a resume? Find your answers here! - Admissions Essay Tips
Check out the dos, don’ts and commonly made mistakes of essay writing.
Paying for College
Invest In Your Future
Understand what resources are available to help you pay for and reduce the cost of college. For current local and national scholarship opportunities, see our regularly updated News section.
FEDERAL STUDENT AID
Who We Are
FSA, an office of the U.S. Department of Education (ED), is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation. At FSA, our more than 1,400 employees help make postsecondary education possible for more than 9.7 million students each year.
What We Do
FSA is responsible for managing the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. These programs provide grant, work-study, and loan funds to students attending college or career school.
What is the FAFSA® form?
Colleges and career schools use the FAFSA form to determine how much financial aid you’re eligible to receive, which could include grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and loans.
You must apply for aid every year, but with the right information in hand, it’s easy.
The 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is available at fafsa.gov.
What’s New
The 2024–25 FAFSA form expands eligibility for federal student aid, including Pell Grants, and provides a streamlined user experience. An estimated 7.3 million new students from low-income backgrounds will be eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants due to updates to student aid calculations. Plus, applicants will be able to skip as many as 26 questions, depending on their individual circumstances. Some applicants could answer as few as 18 questions, which could take less than 10 minutes.
Tips For Students Preparing To Fill Out the FAFSA® Form
Students should do the following to prepare for filling out the FAFSA form:
- Get a StudentAid.gov account before filling out the FAFSA form.
- Have their documents (e.g., 2022 tax returns; records of child support received; current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts; and net worth of investments, businesses, and farms) ready.
- Have their contributor information (e.g., first and last name, Social Security number [if they have one], date of birth, and email address or mailing address [if they don’t have a Social Security number]) ready.
Tips For Students Filling Out the FAFSA® Form
As students fill out the FAFSA form, they should do the following:
- Complete their section of the form first.
- Read questions and definitions carefully.
- Consult in-form resources if they need help.
- Review their answers prior to submitting the form.
- Monitor their form’s status.
- Submit the FAFSA form after all their contributors have signed and all sections are completed.
Send students and parents to StudentAid.gov/fafsatips for detailed tips about preparing for and filling out the FAFSA form.
What Happens After a Student Submits Their FAFSA® Forms
When a student submits their completed 2024–25 FAFSA form, they’ll get an email confirming that we received their form. The email will provide preliminary information related to their eligibility for federal student aid. This will include their estimated Student Aid Index (SAI) and estimated eligibility for Federal Pell Grants.
In one to three days, the FAFSA form will be processed and made available to schools and states. Once schools receive students’ FAFSA information, the ones students have been accepted to will begin sending students personalized aid information several weeks later. Until schools and states receive students’ forms, they won’t be able to answer questions about aid eligibility or status.
Students can check the status of their FAFSA form on StudentAid.gov. After their form is processed, they can access their FAFSA Submission Summary on StudentAid.gov. The FAFSA Submission Summary will provide an official SAI calculation and Federal Pell Grant eligibility.
If a student makes a mistake when submitting their FAFSA form—for instance, if they submit their form without required contributor information or without their signature—they’ll be able to correct the error when the ability to make corrections to processed forms becomes available in the first half of April.
Detailed school-level data on FAFSA completions is available now.
Resources for Reference and Outreach
The resources below will be particularly useful as you prepare to help students with the FAFSA form. You also may wish to browse our full selection of 2024–25 FAFSA resources.
- StudentAid.gov/decemberfafsa—Announcement familiarizing students and parents with the FAFSA form’s availability. Send your students to this StudentAid.gov page, not to this Financial Aid Toolkit site.
- StudentAid.gov/fafsatips—Announcement providing students with tips to successfully complete the 2024–25 FAFSA form. Send your students to this StudentAid.gov page, not to this Financial Aid Toolkit site.
- “FAFSA® Updates”—Financial Aid Toolkit page that provides counselors and college access mentors with the latest forms and information associated with the FAFSA process.
- “A Better FAFSA Process Means a Better Future for Everyone”—Financial Aid Toolkit page providing counselors and college access mentors with informational and outreach tools designed to help navigate FAFSA simplification.
- “FAFSA Simplification”—Knowledge Center page serving as repository for all regulatory information, guidance, and training related to implementation of the FUTURE Act and the FAFSA Simplification Act. Note: This page is primarily written for college financial aid administrators.
PA Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) oversees 500 public school districts, more than 170 public charter schools, public cyber charter schools, Career and Technology Centers/Vocational Technical schools, public Intermediate Units, the education of youth in State Juvenile Correctional Institutions, Head Starts and publicly funded preschools, and community colleges.
PDE also oversees policies related to public, academic, and school libraries, and the State Library of Pennsylvania.
PA FAFSA Go!
PA FAFSA Go! is a cross-collaborative campaign to bring together professionals who are supporting high school seniors and postsecondary students in completing their first FAFSA or their renewal FAFSA for 2024-25.
The high school class of 2023 left an estimated $4 billion in Pell grants on the table by not completing the FAFSA1 – these are dollars that students do not have to repay. Learners must file a FAFSA as well, in order to apply and qualify for a Pennsylvania State Grant.
The PA Department of Education (PDE) teamed up with Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), PA Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (PASFAA), PA Association of College Admission Counselors (PACAC) and PA School Counselors Association (PSCA), for the PA FAFSA Go! campaign – we want students to go out and complete their 2024-25 FAFSA now!
The PA FAFSA Go! partners are committed to providing support for FAFSA completion events, directing students to resources at their high school or postsecondary institution, providing a toolkit of resources for schools, students, and their families, and overall, ensuring that our Pennsylvania learners are not missing any of the free dollars for which they qualify.
We also invite you to prioritize FAFSA completion and become a FOCUS on FAFSA Partner. Your commitment will provide you with additional contacts and information to ensure our Pennsylvania learners do not leave free money on the table.
PHEAA
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1963 to provide affordable access to higher education for PA students and families. Through the years, PHEAA has evolved into one of the nation’s leading providers of student financial aid services, including the Commonwealth’s state-based student loan program—PA Forward. PHEAA also serves millions of students through guaranty, servicing, financial aid processing, and other programs.
PHEAA’s earnings are used to support the Agency’s public service mission and to pay operating costs, including the administration of the PA State Grant Program and other state-funded student aid programs. This contribution from PHEAA saves the Commonwealth millions of dollars each year. PHEAA continues to devote energy, resources, and imagination to developing innovative ways to ease the financial burden of higher education for students, families, schools, and taxpayers.
PHEAA conducts student loan servicing operations nationally as American Education Services (AES).
- 🎥 Is My Parent a Contributor?
- 🎥 Who Is a Contributor on the 2024-25 FAFSA?
- 🎥 Prepare Your Contributors
- 🎥 What’s Changed for the 2024-25 FAFSA?
- 🎥 Update on Access to the 2024-25 FAFSA Form for Individuals Without a Social Security Number—Spanish
- 🎥 FAFSA Completion & Corrections for Students
- 🎥 FAFSA Corrections & Completion for Parents
- 🎥 FAFSA Completion & Corrections for Parents—Spanish
- 🎥 FAFSA Completion & Corrections: Adding Schools
- 🎥 How to Correct and Add Colleges and Universities to Your FAFSA
- 🎥 How to Correct and Add Colleges and Universities to Your FAFSA—Spanish
- 🎥 How to Correct and Add Signatures and Contributor Information to Your FAFSA
- 🎥 How to Correct and Add Signatures and Contributor Information to Your FAFSA—Spanish
- 🎥 How to Correct and Submit the Signature in the New FAFSA Form: For Students and Contributors
- 🎥 How to Correct and Submit the Signature in the New FAFSA Form: For Students and Contributors—Spanish
➡️ PREPARE
Keep your stress level low—know your deadlines, gather your documents, and get organized. You can also register for one of our FAFSA webinars.
➡️ APPLY OR RENEW
Fill out the FAFSA once and simply update it every year that you need aid. The fastest, easiest way to apply or renew is online.
➡️ AFTER YOU APPLY OR RENEW
Find out what you can expect after you apply or renew your FAFSA.
➡️ FAFSA FAQ
Find answers to some common questions about the FAFSA.
