College Bound sends seniors to college with financial confidence 

When you hear the word “FAFSA,” what do you feel? Our College Bound program helps families of high school seniors across Greater Atlanta move from a place of anxiety and stress to feeling confident in their future. 

Many students don’t realize at first that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can unlock both federal funding, like the Pell Grant, state funding, like HOPE, and college specific funding as well. 

Not just a “nice to have” 

Over $4 billion in financial aid goes unclaimed annually according to research by the National College Attainment Network, especially among low-income, first-generation, and minority students. In 2023, Georgia ranked fifth in the nation for most unclaimed Pell Grant funds due to FAFSA non-completion. 

United Way partners with Scholarship Academy and Learn4Life to bring trained volunteers to Title I high schools at College Bound events each year. This year, our College Bound volunteers will sit with more than 1,000 families as they navigate the FAFSA paperwork so this money is not left on the table.  

FAFSA completion significantly increases a student’s chances of enrolling in college at all, with 92% of completers enrolling versus just 51% of those who skip the extra paperwork. 

“The FAFSA money is not just a ‘nice to have.’ It’s the difference between going to school and not for many of our students,” said Lauren Wright, Director of Programs and Outreach at Scholarship Academy. 

Miqueas Soriano, a senior at Creekside High School, looked for a college where he could play in the band, and hoped to get some scholarship money to go along with it. College Bound volunteers helped him complete his forms to make that dream a reality. 

“To be honest, I didn’t really know about how it worked. I knew I needed to get into a school, but didn’t know how to get money for school,” Miqueas said. “Here, I got more information about the FAFSA program and helped get my parents on board with it.” 

Miqueas celebrated completing his FAFSA at College Bound in February, submitting it before the priority deadline of March 1.   

Expert guidance needed 

This year’s FAFSA is not the same one you may remember filling out previously, even if you only went to college a few years ago. This year, the process is entirely digital, and there are pieces both parents and students need to make accounts, log in, and complete forms separately. 

“It’s so much more detailed,” said one mom, Cynthia Brown, who remembers completing it herself. Volunteers sat with her and her daughter for an hour and a half in the Creekside High School college advisor’s office to help walk her through the online portal.  

The application also asks for a lot of personal income information, and, as Cynthia said, filling that out can be very off-putting.  

“You start to feel like you could be pre-judged based on that number, when they don’t know the intricate details of how you have to live week-by-week, month-by-month. It adds to the anxiety.” 

Completing the FAFSA was possible thanks to the guidance of trained College Bound volunteers. They’ve seen these questions before, can address families’ concerns, and demystify the process for Cynthia and dozens of other families throughout the completion event.  

“I understand it a lot better.” 

After attending College Bound events, more students than ever are ready to take ownership of their college journey. 

“The FAFSA process was smooth. I got a lot of help and understand it a lot better,” said LaDeria Goss, another Creekside High School senior who completed her FAFSA with help from our College Bound program. “Do your paperwork! It’s on you to understand and make sure you’re set up right for college.” 

With the FAFSA behind her, LaDeria plans to study nursing at Georgia Gwinnett College, where she’s already been accepted. 

This year, we are working in 12 schools to support FAFSA completion, impacting more than 1,300 students. Want to lend your skills at an upcoming event? You can sign up to volunteer with College Bound on our volunteer portal.   

Please consider donating to help expand to more schools across our 13-county region, unlocking our high schoolers’ potential.