With Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion for high school seniors down 20.5% compared to last year, many organizations are mobilizing to provide more one-to-one FAFSA assistance to students this summer. To support
that work, today the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) is launching a major national digital campaign direct to Pell Grant-eligible young people encouraging them to #DoTheFAFSA.
It’s been a long and disappointing couple of months for young folks trying to go to college and the adults who support them. The news has been full of struggles and inability to complete the new FAFSA. But with most of the FAFSA’s technical dysfunctions
fixed or triaged and high school graduation imminent, it’s time to turn the page on messaging. “We urgently need to change the narrative students are hearing,” NCAN CEO Kim Cook said. “Our main message now? It’s not too late to do the FAFSA and get
the money you need for college.”
The Do The FAFSA campaign is focused directly on young people ages 17-20 with family incomes of $60,000 or less and an emphasis on students of color. From mid-May through August, we will reach students where they are online and coordinate with voices
they trust. The campaign is using paid advertising and promotion on social media channels like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and Snapchat to directly appeal to students to take the time and do the FAFSA. In addition to animated and static ads,
we are working with content creators who have an existing relationship with this audience so they can offer encouragement, validation, and what young people stand to gain from doing the FAFSA. Key messages in English and Spanish are:
It is not too late for students to fill out FAFSA and get the money they need and deserve.
Most people who complete the form get some money to help pay for college.
More people than ever now qualify for financial aid.
The form is simpler, is now working, and takes as little as 10 minutes to fill out.
Past issues with the form, which have unfairly delayed students, have been resolved and students should do the FAFSA and get started on their future.
The communications partner for this project is GMMB, a full-service, cause-driven national communications agency with offices in Washington, DC, Seattle (WA), and San Francisco (CA). They work alongside
foundations, nonprofit organizations, associations, NGOs, and government agencies to help them illuminate important issues, inspire action, and spark change across education, racial equity, democracy, climate change, economic mobility, public health,
and more. GMMB has specific experience engaging young adults with relevant and compelling content on education, health care, and public health.
Please join us and be part of the campaign. First, all the campaign’s social media assets are available for you to use for free on your own social media channels. Check out the campaign’s social press kit to post or download the materials. Second, you can help students by sharing information about local resources for FAFSA completion help they can take advantage of. Customize the text of posts to include dates and times of FAFSA completion events or
other resources such as chatbots, helplines, or virtual appointments available for student assistance. Use the #DoTheFAFSA hashtag to increase the reach of your messages. Finally, you can interact with NCAN’s #DoTheFAFSA posts on Instagram, Facebook,
Twitter, and LinkedIn. Your likes, shares, and comments will help the campaign grow and help us to ensure that more students hear these important messages.
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