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

History

Started 40 years ago, uAspire now impacts 1.5 million students nationwide.

Our Evolution

What began as a local effort to make college more affordable has grown into a national movement advancing access and equity in higher education. As uAspire has evolved, so has our impact by reaching more students, shaping more equitable systems, and fueling change that lasts.

1985

The Boston Plan for Excellence creates the ACCESS program, focused on financial aid advising and Last Dollar Scholarships.

2001

ACCESS becomes a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

2003

Established financial aid offer review as a key support for students in addition to FAFSA and scholarships.

2009

Expanded student advising program beyond Boston.

2010

Introduced text message-based advising to help support students.

2012

Changed organization name from ACCESS to uAspire.

2013

Launched Training & Technical Assistance (TTA) to train school counselors and program staff nationwide.

2014

Established Succeed programming to support college students.
Opened a uAspire site in California.

2017

Launched Policy work to advocate for equitable financial aid and higher education systems.

2018

Opened a uAspire site in New York.
Published the Decoding the Cost of College report on financial aid offers’ lack of transparency and consistency.

2019

Launched the Consulting team to partner with organizations to design student-centered financial aid solutions.

2020

Published Beyond the College Bill report examining indirect expense communication and student impact.
Launched Policy Fellowship to build college students’ advocacy skills and influence policymakers.