SwiftStudent: New Free Digital Tool to Help College Students Request Additional Financial Aid
During COVID-19 National Emergency, New SwiftStudent Offers Practical Assistance
Washington, D.C. – The Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation today releases SwiftStudent, the new, free digital tool to help college students needing to adjust their financial aid. As the country contends with the COVID-19 pandemic, college students and their families everywhere face mounting challenges. A free tool powered by FormSwift, SwiftStudent guides college students through the formal process of requesting additional financial aid when their economic circumstances have changed.
SwiftStudent is available to all students receiving federal aid, free to use, and does not share or sell personal data. SwiftStudent guides users through the appeal process relating to numerous special circumstances where a student may be eligible for an adjustment to their financial aid, such as recent job loss of a parent, a medical crisis, and loss of childcare or housing. SwiftStudent offers templates that address over 14 types of appeals, accompanied by an extensive resource guide.
“Economic hardship and job loss related to COVID-19 have begun hitting college students and their families, but most submitted their financial aid applications before the pandemic,” said Abigail Seldin, CEO of the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation. “Many students will now need more financial aid to continue higher education, but too few know that financial aid appeals are possible. Thanks to our deep collaboration with 18 leading higher education organizations, we now have SwiftStudent. It’s a free, simple tool designed to help students learn about financial aid appeals and to start the process if is right for them.”
“At Montgomery College we have 55,000 students, many of whom are hard hit financially by COVID-19. The College is very pleased that there is a free tool now that can help students navigate the financial aid appeal process. The SwiftStudent letters collect the information we need to guide students properly through the appeals process,” said Dr. DeRionne Pollard, president of Montgomery College in Maryland.
“Millions of students already filled out the FAFSA this fall, well before the economic impact of COVID19. Many students will need to ask for more financial aid when they receive their offers this April, and our members are relieved to have a tool to help them with the process. Our members strive to close equity gaps in postsecondary attainment for all students, and access to financial aid is a critical issue,” said Kim Cook, Executive Director of the National College Attainment Network.
“Thousands of College Promise students who are pursuing higher education through the COVID19 pandemic can now use the new free SwiftStudent tool to break through the paperwork and receive the federal financial aid support they need and deserve,” said Martha Kanter, Executive Director of the College Promise Campaign and former Undersecretary of Education under President Barack Obama.
Additional spokespersons are available for comment, including students, financial aid officers, and partner organizations.
The free digital tool SwiftStudent is available beginning today, April 15, 2020, at https://formswift.com/swift-student, and powered by FormSwift, a leading provider of tools to help easily create, edit, and sign legal and business documents. The SwiftStudent content was organized by the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation in proud partnership with these 18 advocacy organizations, associations, and colleges from across the country:
ABOUT SELDIN/HARING-SMITH FOUNDTION: Established by Abigail Seldin and Whitney Haring-Smith in 2019, the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation funds seed stage public interest projects and collaborates with leading technology companies to build self-sustaining tools for the new college majority: students struggling with basic needs, students with children, students who have stopped out of college, and students with debt. In 2020, SHSF is launching SwiftStudent, a free digital tool that provides financial aid appeal guidance and letter templates for students, with the cloud-based software company FormSwift and a coalition of 18 leading higher education organizations. SHSF’s partnership with Getty Images will produce a forthcoming photo series featuring professional stock photos of the new college majority, which is underrepresented in existing online collections. SHSF also makes external grants and operates and interdisciplinary research fellows program.
