National researchers from leading universities partnered with the Austin Chamber in 2015 to conduct a study on the effectiveness of text messaging campaigns and FAFSA filings. The study found that when Texas students in eight school districts were reminded by text message to complete key college financial aid completion steps, they filed their FAFSA earlier than students who were not. They also directly enrolled in college at four percentage points higher than their peers.

From January 2015 through April 2015, the study included 17,000 high school seniors from eight Texas school districts, including students in Austin, Bastrop, Hays, Hutto, Manor, and Lockhart. Students received customized text messages to remind them of financial aid deadlines, their progress on the FAFSA application, and how to get help from their counselors.

Study Results

By the end of February 2016, FAFSA submission and completion rates were six percentage points higher than the control group and students were more likely to complete the FAFSA earlier in the school year. Most importantly, the study found that students may miss out on thousands of dollars by filing their FAFSA later in the spring, with the largest differences being found for students with the lowest family expected financial contributions. It is estimated that students who file the FAFSA early receive institutional aid of over $3,000 on average, while students whose families have similar economic situations and file in the summer receive almost no institutional assistance. Earlier filing also gave students more time to navigate the income verification process and allow for timely enrollment.

The success of the text messaging program reinforces the need to continue the current program to keep students engaged throughout the entire FAFSA process to completion, ensure earlier completion of the FAFSA, and based on evidence, ensure more direct to college enrollment.