News and Updates About Federal Financial Aid & the FAFSA: Students | Practitioners

Our Impact

Who We Serve

10,289 High School and College Students Advised

Focusing on students of color, students from low-income communities and first-generation college students, our advising programs are open and accessible to all students regardless of their GPA or postsecondary aspirations.

87^%

Identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or Person of Color

80^%

Low-income backgrounds

73^%

First-generation college students

Jean

"We completed the entire FAFSA in one session. It was so helpful and took a huge weight off my shoulders. After that first session, I messaged Alayna every time I had a question."

uAspire students who engage most deeply are 1.9x more likely to graduate college than their peers from low-income high schools.

measuring our success

Annual Report

Learn more about our impact.

Past Years

Direct Financial Assistance

Last year, uAspire distributed $400,538 in scholarships.

Case Studies

Consulting

“It is so important to provide accurate, unbiased information and guide students on their journey. uAspire helped us lay out a clearer roadmap for students.”

Consulting

“All schools should examine their offer letter. Articulating the real cost of attendance can make all the difference between a student making a decision that leads to success or not.”

Webinars & Training

“The training is not all about financial aid. It’s part of a much bigger picture of helping students realize their potential. uAspire approaches the work as we do—with a goal of enabling students to manage their own journey.”

Consulting

“We frequently hear that students don’t understand our offer letters. uAspire knows this material and the questions to ask. Hearing what our students need to know was invaluable.”

Student Support

“My financial aid staff and uAspire‘s team work together fluidly, and we are seeing the results in completed FAFSAs. If this program were implemented at all community colleges, it would have a significant impact on student success.”

Training

“Through education, we can help position college as a more attainable goal, which I hope will translate into a more educated Missouri. These trainings are playing a critical role in shifting the narrative.”

Webinars & Training

“uAspire is truly the gold standard of financial aid education. Our students must have confidence in us, because for many students, these negotiations around financial aid will determine whether they stay in school.”

Training

“FAFSA completion opens doors to higher education for many students. uAspire’s training has allowed for more educators in Connecticut to support students and families with this process."

Training

“A lot of organizations do financial aid training, but they don’t deliver information in a way that a first-generation student understands, and they don’t account for specific circumstances that families face.”

Publications

Adult Learners: A Review of National and California Trends

Laying the Groundwork: Building a Policy Roadmap for Massachusetts Public Higher Education

Chutes & Ladders: Falling Behind and Getting Ahead with the Simplified FAFSA

A Pilot to Implement Universal Financial Aid Application Completion in California

Opportunities & Challenges of Universal FAFSA