Helping NYC students fill out the FAFSA

While most colleges had an application deadline of January 1st, high school seniors still have one very important form to fill out.

The FAFSA (or Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is used to determine each student’s financial aid package — a package many families rely on to select their final choice once decision time comes around. Filling out the form incorrectly often means the loss of much-needed funds.

A new program sponsored by the Lumina Foundation’s MoveED for Goal 2025 and the crowd funding education site DonorsChoose.org wants to help local New York City students get all of the aid they qualify for.The incentive program is aimed at public school teachers and will reward those educators who assist and encourage their students to successfully complete the form.

“For many low-income and first generation students, completing the FAFSA can be a confusing — even daunting — process,” said Jamie Merisotis, the CEO of Lumina Foundation says in a statement. “By providing students with the resources and counseling they need to complete the application, teachers can help students take the first tangible step toward making their college-going dreams a reality.”

The first 15 teachers who submit receipts showing that at least 15 of their students filled out their FAFSAs are eligible to receive $500 in Donors Choose credits to fund classroom projects.

Teachers in the following New York schools are eligible to participate:

• Chelsea Career & Tech High School

• Community Health Academy Heights

• Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School

• Life Sciences Secondary School

• Marta Valle High School

• Mott Hall High School

• New Heights Academy Charter School

• Norman Thomas High School

• Wadleigh Performing Arts High School

• Washington Irving High School