Neeta Sonalkar leads stakeholder engagement and communications efforts for the FAFSA program, with a focus on fostering dialogue with college access and financial aid communities to ensure students can easily access all aid they are eligible for. In this role, she regularly partners with a broad range of stakeholders, leads the annual FAFSA beta testing program, and oversees communication and outreach efforts to students and partners.
Prior to joining Federal Student Aid, Neeta worked in the nonprofit sector, bridging policy, technology, and technical assistance to expand access to financial aid and public benefits access for students in partnership with institutions of higher education, public systems, and state agencies across the country. Neeta attended Northwestern University, the University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy, and is a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs.