Financial Aid Application Experience Survey

Welcome to the Financial Aid Application Experience Survey. This survey asks about your experience with financial aid applications (including FAFSA) in the last 12 months. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers—we are interested in your honest opinions. All responses are confidential and will be reported only in aggregate to help improve financial aid processes. The survey takes approximately 7–10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your time.

In the last 12 months, did you submit a financial aid application (e.g., FAFSA, institutional aid form) for your current program?

• Yes
• No

What are the main reasons you did not apply for financial aid? Select all that apply.

• Did not need aid
• Unsure about eligibility
• Process seemed too time-consuming
• Information was unclear
• Concerned about impact on loans or future eligibility
• Missed the deadline
• Have not looked for information
• Other (please specify)
• Prefer not to say

What, if anything, would make you more likely to apply for financial aid in the future?

Based on what you have seen or heard, how clear does the financial aid application process at your institution seem?

Thinking about your most recent financial aid application, please indicate how much you agree or disagree: The instructions for completing the application were easy to understand.

I knew what documents and information I needed before I started.

The application could be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

I felt confident that I submitted my application correctly.

I received timely updates about the status of my application.

Approximately how long did it take you to complete the application from start to submission?

• Less than 15 minutes
• 15–30 minutes
• 31–60 minutes
• 1–2 hours
• More than 2 hours
• Completed over multiple sessions—unsure of total time
• Don't remember

Which resources did you use while completing the application? Select all that apply.

• Financial aid office (in person)
• Phone hotline
• Email to financial aid office
• Live chat or chatbot
• Web FAQs or online guides
• Peer or mentor
• Family member
• High school counselor
• Other (please specify)
• None of the above

Which parts of the application, if any, did you find confusing or unclear? Please be as specific as possible.

Overall, how fair was the financial aid application process at your institution?

How transparent were the eligibility criteria for financial aid at your institution?

How transparent was the communication about financial aid decisions (e.g., award amounts, denial reasons)?

Which of the following financial aid support channels have you been able to access at your institution? Select all that apply.

• In-person office hours
• Phone hotline
• Email
• Live chat or chatbot
• Web FAQs or online guides
• Peer advisors
• Social media
• Other (please specify)
• None of the above

Overall, how helpful was the support you received during the financial aid application process?

If you could change one thing about the financial aid application experience, what would it be?

Based on your responses in this survey, is there anything else you would like to share about your financial aid application experience?

Thank you for your responses so far. We'd like to explore a few of your answers in more depth. An AI moderator will ask you up to 2 follow-up questions about your financial aid experience.

What is your age?

• 17 or younger
• 18–20
• 21–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45 or older
• Prefer not to say

What is your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Another identity
• Prefer not to say

Which best describes your current program?

• Undergraduate (Bachelor's)
• Graduate (Master's/Doctoral)
• Community college/Associate
• Vocational/Trade
• Certificate/Bootcamp
• Other (please specify)
• Prefer not to say

What is your current enrollment status?

• Full-time
• Part-time
• Less than half-time
• Prefer not to say

In which country or region do you currently study?

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• Europe (other)
• Asia
• Latin America & Caribbean
• Africa
• Middle East
• Other
• Prefer not to say

Are you a first-generation college or university student (i.e., neither of your parents/guardians completed a four-year degree)?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for completing this survey. Your feedback will directly inform improvements to the financial aid application process at your institution.