Posted Date: December 17, 2008
Author: Jennifer Douglas, General Manager, Student Aid Awareness and Applicant Services Channel, Federal Student Aid
Subject: New FAFSA Filing Option--FAFSA on the Phone
Federal Student Aid has launched a new initiative that offers the option for students and parents to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) over the phone. In lieu of filing the FAFSA online or mailing in a paper FAFSA, students and parents can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) and file by phone.
FAFSA on the Phone (FOTP) provides applicants with real-time assistance from a customer service representative in completing the FAFSA. FOTP was developed as an alternative for FAFSA applicants and is not intended to replace our FAFSA on the Web application. This new service is designed for applicants who do not have access to FAFSA on the Web and who are facing fast-approaching state application deadlines.
Because this is a new option and because we do not want current online filers to switch to FOTP, we are doing a phased, controlled rollout-a rollout that is supported by informed college access professionals. To determine where to start with the rollout, Federal Student Aid analyzed paper submission trends and identified three target states that would benefit most from the FOTP service. The states identified were Indiana (the state with the highest percent of paper filers) and Rhode Island and West Virginia (states that may not have ready access to Internet services for online filing).
If you are working with a family that would benefit by applying for financial aid using FOTP, please refer to the attached FOTP fact sheet. The fact sheet lists the documents the applicant will need and provides contact information for the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC).
Federal Student Aid is pleased about this milestone that increases accessibility to the FAFSA. FOTP is free, fast, reliable, and accurate and provides real-time counseling on the financial aid process and end-to-end support for submission of the FAFSA. If you have questions regarding FOTP, please contact the FSAIC at 1-800-4-FED-AID.