Student advisory: No need to pay for financial aid services

You may have been contacted by organizations charging a fee to help you apply for financial aid. 

Before you pay for help, please know that our financial aid office is staffed by experts to help you for free, says Jennifer Harpham, director of the Office of Student Financial Aid. UA's financial aid counselors will work with students and parents, and the U.S. Department of Education does not charge anyone to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

"I have worked in this field for many years," Harpham said, "and we see these offers from time to time. It's not necessary to pay a fee to get assistance. We encourage anyone who has questions about the financial aid process to come talk with us. We'll help them for free."

You can stop by ZipAssist in the lobby of Simmons Hall for assistance, or call the Office of Student Financial Aid at 330-972-7032 or email us.