Answer FAFSA Questions the Right Way with Video

Financial aid is a top consideration for students applying to your college. You already know that the best way for students to apply for aid at your college is to fill out the FAFSA. However, you probably also know how confusing and challenging filling out the FAFSA can be for students and their families. Far too often, students give up on the FAFSA or don’t even start it in the first place because they either are too overwhelmed by the application or don’t think that they would qualify for financial aid anyway. The FASFA questions can be endless for some.

You can help these students by answering their FAFSA-related questions and walking them through the application process. The easiest way to do this is through video. With video, you can clearly and thoroughly explain how to fill out the FAFSA and answer any questions. By using a video email instead of a regular plain-text one, you can ensure that students will understand everything they need to know about the FAFSA and feel confident that they can get through the application process.

Use Video to Help Students with FAFSA

There are several reasons why a video email is better at explaining FAFSA than a plain-text one. Here’s a few reasons why video is the ideal medium for answering FAFSA questions:

• With a screen recording video, you can visually show instructions for filling out the FAFSA instead of just typing them out. This will make it much easier for the student to replicate your instructions for their application. 
• You can use audio to talk through what you’re showing on your screen, thus giving your students another medium through which to learn the information you’re providing. 
• Students will remember more information when you present it in a video. On average, 95% of the information presented in a video is remembered by the recipient. 
• With a video email, you don’t have to schedule a call in order to walk a prospective student through their application. This means that you can solve their problem as soon as it comes up instead of waiting for a scheduled meeting.

The best way to send a video to students is through a video email platform like Covideo. With Covideo, you can embed your video directly into the body of your email or text message. You can also create your own custom video landing page that includes your school’s logo and clickable CTAs. You can use these CTAs to direct your student to more information about the FAFSA or include a link to your calendar so they can schedule a meeting if they have more questions. Covideo is the perfect platform for quickly and clearly communicating with students about FAFSA or other financial aid questions.

Other Ways to Answer FAFSA Questions

While video email is the best way to offer FAFSA help to your prospective students, there are other methods that you can use. Here are a few more ideas for how to help students with their FAFSA:

1. Schedule a FAFSA event

You can schedule an event either online or in-person to help students fill out the FAFSA or answer any questions. For example, Heidelberg University hosts FAFSA Completion nights for nearby applicants where they can get in-person assistance while completing their application, even if they don’t plan to apply to Heidelberg. These events are extremely useful for students and their families and can also be used to promote your university.

2. Offer one-on-one FAFSA assistance online

If a student has too many questions to be answered in a video, you can schedule a video call. It’s a good idea to have an availability calendar up on your admissions website so that students can easily schedule a meeting. You can even still send a quick video introducing yourself before the meeting so that you can begin developing a relationship with the students and go over any materials that they should have on hand during the meeting.

3. Direct them to other great FAFSA resources

There are already a number of great FAFSA resources available online. You should include a list of these on your admissions page, including the official FAFSA FAQ and contact information.

Common FAFSA Questions

If you want to be able to quickly answer student questions, then you should first make sure that you already know the answer to the most common FAFSA questions. These questions include:

• Who can apply for the FAFSA?
• When does the new FAFSA open for the coming school year?
• When is the FAFSA due?
• How long does it take to fill out the FAFSA form?
• How long does the FAFSA take to process?
• Do you have to apply again every year?
• How do you add schools to your FAFSA?
• What does “expected family contribution” mean?
• Do you have to pay back money you receive through FAFSA?

If you don’t already know the answers to these questions, then look through the FAQ on the FAFSA website. You should also be prepared to answer questions about how your specific school uses the FAFSA and what types of financial aid are available.

Covideo: The Best Tool for Admissions Teams

Covideo isn’t only great for answering FAFSA questions. You can use video email in every step of the admissions process, from reaching out to prospective students to sending virtual acceptance letters. Interested in learning more? Download our ebook “Optimizing Higher Ed Outreach with Personalized Video” for more tips and resources for using video to take your admissions team to the next level.