College planning is a big undertaking that involves time and organization but pays off enormously in the end. A large part of college prep is planning to apply for federal financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). According to the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), millions of students who are…
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OCTOBER 1, 2020 — LEAP Tampa Bay encourages students and adults to take the first step in applying for need-based and merit-based financial aid for college today, the first day the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2021-2022 year is available to download at www.studentaid.gov Qualifying students can receive more than $6,000…
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As if the process of applying to college isn’t intimidating enough, throw in a financial aid application and it’s enough to discourage even the most dedicated students. To make matters worse, each year, millions of financial aid dollars go unclaimed because students just do not apply! Enter the new chatbot created by the Benefits Data…
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It’s a unique time in our country’s history and all Americans are challenged. High school students, especially seniors, as well as adult learners returning to school, are in an especially unique situation these days – navigating the waters of upcoming college admissions, testing, financial aid, all while schools have restricted access. What happens now? Have…
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The notoriously complicated Free Application for Federal Student Aid will soon be getting a facelift, thanks to new legislation signed into law Thursday. The bipartisan FUTURE Act will cut the number of FAFSA questions by approximately 20% and will allow for better, more accurate data sharing between the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of…
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Legislation that would simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is on the way to President Trump for signature, according to the National College Access Network. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed the FUTURE Act (H.B. 5363), which if enacted would reduce the number of questions on the FAFSA by 20%. The…
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A “First Look” data dashboard revealing the number of Florida high school seniors who have completed the FAFSA since October 1, 2019 (when the 2020-21 FAFSA opened) is now available. The dashboard, published by the Florida College Access Network, provides the ability to filter by school, city and county. In addition to the current year’s…
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Public high schools around the Tampa Bay area are invited to participate once again in a competition to increase completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) It’s all part of a statewide effort called the Florida FAFSA Challenge, which aims to boost the number of Florida students completing the federal financial aid application by 5…
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The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Tampa Bay Chapter will recognize Anne Eason, Ph.D., a Tampa psychologist, advocate for education and volunteer with LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network, as the Gayle Sierens Volunteer of the Year at its annual National Philanthropy Day® (NPD) breakfast on Nov. 15 in Tampa. Over the past seven years,…
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It’s officially FAFSA season! The 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available starting today (Oct. 1). Filing a FAFSA is the first step to taking advantage of financial aid opportunities that are available to your family. Ready to get started? Below, we break down some of the basics you need to know before…
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