The joy of college acceptance letters can be overshadowed by financial aid stress. As a college access advisor with the Virtual Access Program in Texas, I help students like Jessica navigate these hurdles and turn their college dreams into reality.
Jessica, a determined senior with her sights set on becoming a small business owner, was on track to graduate high school with her cosmetology license. Her next step? Mastering barbering at the local community college. To make this dream a reality, Jessica diligently completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a crucial step for securing financial aid. When she didn’t receive a financial aid package, she was surprised to learn that her father hadn’t filled out his section. Her FAFSA had never been submitted.
Over several weeks of texts and calls, I learned that her father was worried about how his tax information would be used in the FAFSA and how it would impact his family. After much back and forth, we arranged a video call with the entire family to talk through his concerns. I was thrilled when he finally agreed to fill it out, but a new hurdle emerged: he couldn’t access Jessica’s FAFSA.
We spent much of the call trying to figure out why the application wasn’t working. They only had one iPad on which to compare Jessica’s information and her father’s, so she had to log in and out dozens of times to find the mismatched info that was locking him out. When we found the issue, it felt like victory. With one tiny correction, he was able to complete his portion in no time.
His fears reassured and the technical glitches out of the way, Jessica’s father submitted the FAFSA during our call! This lifted a huge weight off Jessica’s shoulders. She met the deadline and is officially on her way to college this fall.
Jessica is one of many students who face personal and technical challenges in the financial aid process. Our mission is to provide support and resources like workshops and one-on-one guidance to help students navigate these complexities. With determination and the right support, obstacles like paperwork and misunderstandings won’t stand in the way of achieving their college dreams.
Shared by Sarah Fiedler, college access advisor with the Virtual Access Program
