Understanding FAFSA | Website, curriculum & experience design
Team: Shristi Singh, Varshini Balaji, Kim Nauer
Date: 2022 - 2023
Partners: UnderstandingFAFSA.org, Center for New York City Affairs,
The City University of New York, Parsons Scholars Program
Thought Partners: uAspire, Ideas42
Awards: Spark Award for Design Impact
Visit website here
Background:
The cost of higher education in the U.S. has skyrocketed, with tuition at public 4-year colleges rising over 179% in the last two decades—far outpacing inflation. As a result, students from low and middle-income backgrounds often take on significant debt just to access a degree. Today, cost remains one of the biggest barriers to enrollment: over half of students who stopped out or never enrolled cite affordability as a key reason.
Research quesiton: Given the widespread reliance on federal aid, how might we redesign the student experience to improve understanding of and confidence in using FAFSA?
Research: