SUNY Officials Urge FAFSA Completion

New York officials continue to encourage families of college-bound kids to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The form is the only way students can receive state and federal aid.

The number of applications for financial aid is down this year, according to SUNY Chancellor John King. And with classes starting shortly, it’s a good time to take care of it.

"For most families, they want to know at the start of the year what the bill is going to look like," King said Monday while at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. "And so we're trying to make sure that as many folks as possible complete that FAFSA now before we get into the academic year."

The FAFSA has long had a reputation for being very complicated, and a federal government overhaul was supposed to make it all easier. But problems with the new FAFSA form have persisted and FAFSA applications are down 10% compared to last year, according to King.

"We are working hard in New York to combat that, doing information sessions at all of our campuses," King said. "We have a FAFSA completion core, current SUNY students who've been trained to work with prospective students and their families to complete the FAFSA. Lots about reach, phone calls, texts, emails to make sure folks know about the FAFSA. The governor sent a letter home to each high school senior reminding them about the importance of the FAFSA."

King says families can go to the SUNY website for help as well.

This article was originally published on WRVO.