SwiftStudent
{{Short description|American financial aid website}}
{{Infobox website
| name = SwiftStudent
| type = Digital repository of information for student financial aid applicants
| language = English
| area_served = United States
| industry = Educational technology
| url = https://formswift.com/swift-student
| commercial = No
| registration = None
| launch_date = April 2020
| current_status = Active
}}
SwiftStudent is a free financial aid service which was created in 2020.{{Cite web|last=Hoover|first=Eric|date=April 15, 2020|title=Financial-Aid Appeals Are Mysterious. This Tool Was Built to Simplify Them.|url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/financial-aid-appeals-are-mysterious-this-tool-was-built-to-simplify-them/|url-access=subscription|access-date=2021-12-22|website=The Chronicle of Higher Education}} The website is repository of template letters and applications for financial aid.{{Cite web|date=2021-05-06|title=Some Student Financial Aid Offers No Longer Make Sense|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/student-financial-aid-packages-2021|access-date=2021-12-22|website=Teen Vogue|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|title=Didn't Get Enough Financial Aid For College? You Can Ask For More Money|language=en|work=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/01/17/957385763/didnt-get-enough-financial-aid-for-college-you-can-ask-for-more-money?sc=18&f=1001|access-date=2021-12-22}} The site includes information about the financial aid process, and student eligibility for various forms of financial aid.{{Cite web|title=New Tool for Financial Aid Appeals {{!}} Inside Higher Ed|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/04/16/new-tool-financial-aid-appeals|access-date=2021-12-22|website=www.insidehighered.com|language=en}}
History
Seldin began developing the idea for SwiftStudent in 2019,{{Cite news|last=Lieber|first=Ron|date=2020-04-25|title=How to Ask a College for More Financial Aid|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/25/your-money/college-financial-aid-coronavirus.html|access-date=2021-12-22|issn=0362-4331}} based on her observation that many students were unaware of the forms of financial aid available to them.{{Cite web|date=2020-04-15|title=Students Need More Financial Aid Than What They Applied for. A Free New Tool Can Help. - EdSurge News|url=https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-04-15-students-need-more-financial-aid-than-what-they-applied-for-a-free-new-tool-can-help|access-date=2021-12-22|website=EdSurge|language=en}} The site was developed in partnership with FormSwift.{{Cite web|date=2020-04-20|title=COVID-19: Need More College Financial Aid—New Tool|url=https://buffalo.theschoolleader.org/news/covid-19-need-more-college-financial-aid-new-tool|access-date=2021-12-22|website=Buffalo Council of Supervisors & Administrators|language=en}}
The Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation partnered with various colleges, educational organizations and advocacy groups to develop its features, including ACT, Institute for Women's Policy Research, and New America.{{Cite web|title=SwiftStudent Financial Aid Tool|url=https://iwpr.org/swiftstudent/|access-date=2021-12-22|website=IWPR|date=15 April 2020 |language=en-US}} SwiftStudent was launched in April 2020.{{Cite web|date=July 23, 2020|title=Financial aid appeals surge as students cope with pandemic hardships|url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/education/financial-aid-appeals-surge-as-students-cope-with-pandemic-hardships/509-ef721e1a-c87d-4377-86ce-258b2d13db28|access-date=2021-12-22|website=cbs8.com|language=en-US}}
In 2021, SwiftStudent was a named finalist in Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Awards for "Education" and "Pandemic Response".{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Fast Company|date=2021-05-04|title=World Changing Ideas Awards 2021: Education Finalists and Honorable Mentions|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90623632/world-changing-ideas-awards-2021-education-finalists-and-honorable-mentions|access-date=2021-12-22|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Fast Company|date=2021-05-04|title=World Changing Ideas Awards 2021: Pandemic Response Finalists and Honorable Mentions|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90624513/world-changing-ideas-awards-2021-pandemic-response-finalists-and-honorable-mentions|access-date=2021-12-22|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}}