Three SUNY Oswego students will help meet an initiative to increase FAFSA (Financial Aid Free Student Application) completion rates, thanks to support from SUNY and AmeriCorps.

Oswego students Angela Aldatz, Paul Lomanto and Norun Tabassum have joined the FAFSA Completion Corps, preparing to help fellow Lakers, high school students and families apply for financial aid that, in previous years, has gone unclaimed by too many people. The effort is headquartered in Oswego’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) office in Penfield Library.

Lomanto, a senior finance major, wanted to take part to help demystify the process to encourage more students to apply to and attend college.

“Higher education can be daunting for some families, especially with the price tag attached to it,” said Lomanto, a senior finance major. “Helping families achieve college through the FAFSA is fulfilling. I was able to navigate the FAFSA successfully, and I like that I am able to help other students and families use it as well.”

Aldatz, a sophomore biology major, sees this work as an opportunity to give back and support others who can benefit from the knowledge.

“One of the reasons I wanted to come to college is to do better for myself, and I want to do that for others,” Aldatz said. “Teaching financial literacy is an important thing that I wanted to do because it helps other people be successful.”

For Tabassum, a sophomore dual major in psychology and in human development, it’s something familiar that can make a positive impact. 

“I have experience helping other students from my job in high school,” Tabassum said. “I did some 1-on-1 work that included helping them fill out the FAFSA. Since I’d done it already and liked the job, this was a way to keep helping.”

The current schedule for SUNY Oswego’s in-person and virtual appointments with the FAFSA Completion Corps is as follows, with signup links included:

In person: 

Zoom:

SUNY, AmeriCorps support

In fall 2023, SUNY announced the SUNY FAFSA Completion Corps to help prospective students complete the new federal application for college financial aid, thanks to a grant from AmeriCorps. Oswego joined the program in December.

As part of this effort, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced legislation in January to require every school district in New York state to ensure every high school student fills out the FAFSA.

In New York state, about half of high school students complete their FAFSA application, leaving hundreds of millions in federal and state financial aid untouched and lessening their chance at a college education. According to an analysis by the National College Attainment Network, the high school class of 2022 left about $3.6 billion in Pell Grants nationwide unclaimed by not completing the FAFSA; in New York state, this added up to $200 million in unclaimed Pell. 

Studies have shown that students completing the FAFSA are more likely to go to college. About 90 percent of high school seniors who complete the FAFSA go to college directly after graduation, compared to just 55 percent of seniors who do not complete the FAFSA. 

"SUNY is an extraordinary value proposition, and more than half of SUNY undergraduates are able to attend tuition-free thanks to state and federal financial aid," SUNY Chancellor John B. King said in announcing the new program. "Across SUNY, we are using every tool we have to help New Yorkers be fully informed of their college options and know how to get available funding."

In Oswego, this means its FAFSA Completion Corps finding ways to ensure more people learn about, and take advantage of, these financial opportunities.

“The mission is for us to help educate families on the importance of the FAFSA, as well as for us to help them fill it out successfully,” Lomanto said. “People can make an appointment with us in person or via Zoom.”

“We’re offering it in a hybrid manner because we know how busy people’s schedules are,” Aldatz said. “We just want to be there if students need help. We’re also working through the EOP office to offer workshops by coming into classes if people want it." 

“We also plan to work with high schools in the area if there are families and students who need help,” Tabassum said. “We know that high school counselors can be really busy so we’re happy to provide support.”

Hours will vary during academic breaks and after the semester, but the members of Oswego’s team plan to continue working through at least June 30 to support anybody needing their help.

For more information on the 2024-25 FAFSA, visit the FAFSA updates page.