Many students want to go to college, but often just as many students find themselves without the financial means to do so. To try and close the gap between the two, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid allows students to apply for federal aid and helps colleges determine the financial need of students.

The FAFSA is available to all students, regardless of race, gender or financial status, and many collegiate scholarships require students to fill it out.

“Everyone wants to go to college,” Jody Perkins, an access and research specialist, said. “But students don’t have all the resources at their disposal. Our job is to educate them on that so that they’re ready when it’s time to go.”

On Weber State University’s campus, a group called Advocates for FAFSA, headed by Perkins, can help students fill out the form, which can often involve complicated situations.

Advocates for FAFSA is a relatively new program that originated from the Student-to-Student program, a program that recruits from different high schools in the area. Individuals such as Perkins would travel to the various schools in the area, educating students on how FAFSA works and what resources are available to students.

Although Advocates for FAFSA has evolved from the Student-to-Student program, it still retains a lot of those earlier pieces of the program. Advocates for FAFSA will still recruit from time to time, but now both potential WSU students and current students can meet with Perkins or student advocates one-on-one.

The student advocates are able to help students as they enter the college atmosphere and can help them adjust once they are there.

“Everyone needs their ‘why,’” Perkins said. “You are not mandated to go to college like you are in high school. Yes, getting students here is important. More importantly is getting them to stay here.”

Helping students stay in college is a key goal for Perkins, and it is vital for students to be successful in college. In fact, current students credit Perkins and his FAFSA program as being a key part of being successful in college.

For Perkins, the biggest key to the success of students in the college atmosphere is a family matter. He himself graduated with his bachelor’s degree at WSU. He currently has three children, soon to be four, attending WSU.

“Every family wants to create that college-going culture,” Perkins said. “I have. Everyone wants that.”