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Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

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Reviews Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. Reviews (45)

April 17th, 2015 [redacted]Client Relations DepartmentStudent Financial Aid Services, Inc.[redacted]
[redacted]  [redacted]
 
[redacted] C/o Revdex.com of Northeast Sacramento3075 Beacon Blvd.West Sacramento, CA ...

95691 RE: Case [redacted]
[redacted] Dear Mr.  [redacted]: I am writing in response to the noticeforwarded to me from your office, on April 15th, 2015 in regard to Mr.[redacted]’s concerns with our service.   In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he claimsthat our company’s website is nearly identical to the Government website andthat we are committing fraud. He has requested a refund of $280 for multiple years’worth of service fees. In his complaint Mr. [redacted] indicates he did not useour service to file his FAFSA but instead used the Department of Education’swebsite. Our company, Student Financial AidServices, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated tohelping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue theircollege goals.  As per the HigherEducation Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options forfiling the federal student aid application – preparing and filing theapplication oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer.  While filing a federal student aid form isfree on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, andthe U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financialquestions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms.  For over twenty (20) years, Student FinancialAid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help thembecome eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-useInternet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quickand accurate.  Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through asimplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes.  The application is checked for accuracy, andfiled electronically.   Clients also have the option of usingour ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our securewebsite.  One of our knowledgeableStudent Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-pointFAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors beforeelectronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor.  Those that file directly to Federal Processorwithout the use of      our professional assistance do notreceive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website.  Other comparisons between our company’sservices and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website. Our company also proudly provides andsupports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low incomefamilies, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from lowincome families can utilize our services free of charge. In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he claimsthat our company’s website is disguised to look like the Government website.   If you review our company’s website, you willnote that the webpage design looks nothing like the Federal Processor’s webpageand our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page: “Please note that this site is notaffiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student FinancialAid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation andpreparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professionalassistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.” Our company also lists its name“Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.If you review our company’s homepage,you will see the following: There is a statement in the upperright hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We arenot affiliated with the Dept. of Education”. “Using a FAFSA PreparerLike filing your taxes, the FAFSA canbe filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistanceat www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, justlike a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review oftheir important FAFSA application.” “The nation’s oldest and largeststudent aid advisory firm.  We are anon-government organization.” Prior to the submission of anyinformation into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreedto.  The terms of use inform that ourcompany is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that ourcompany is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file forfree without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’swebsite for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’sservices. Our company’s system will not allowusers to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted.  Our company’s terms of use are available onour company’s website for your review. Our company feels that it is veryclear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department ofEducation and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to useour services after reaching our website.  Our records indicate that our company’sterms of use were agreed to and an account set up with our company on April 19th,2012. At that time payment was made online for our Express FAFSA service.  Our records indicate the Gold service leveloption was selected which includes annual renewal and automatic billing eachyear. Prior to automatic billing an e-mail is sent to the client indicating theamount the client will be charged, and the time frame in which they will becharged. Included in these e-mails is the option to downgrade or cancel theservice so that no billing will take place. Our records show confirmation thatMr. [redacted] did in fact utilize our online option to complete  three FAFSA applications which we filed onhis behalf after our review process. After the annual renewal process thisyear, Mr. [redacted] did file directly with the Department of Education, and didnot use our services. Because of this we refunded the 69.99 service fee for themost recent application.  We feel that the above mentionedexplanation and actions address Mr. [redacted]’s concerns.  We feel our company, once it was made aware,has expeditiously addressed Ms. [redacted]’s concerns and will consider this issueclosed.  If we can be of furtherassistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can bereached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time at###-###-####. Sincerely,    [redacted]Client Relations Manager Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

My child typed in FAFSA into a search engine & this is the first website that appeared. He thought he was filing an official FAFSA and was deceived into giving the company his and his parents SS#, financial info, pretty much everything you need to steal someone's identity. Then AT THE END when they asked for payment he realized his mistake but was unable to delete the information. This company claims multiple times in their response to the many complaints with the Revdex.com to "clearly" state that you must pay to use their services, that they aren't affiliated with the actual free/legit FAFSA, and that they only ask for information that they need to fill out the FAFSA for you( when in actuality they ask for much more info then the legit FAFSA such as parents maiden name, etc..). They also site their A+ rating which I now know is false (and yet they claim not to engage in false advertising ).If that were the case then they should make you pay BEFORE requesting sensitive and personal information that way there would be no confusion as to what you are getting into. I believe that they intentionally prey on students who are filing for the first time and don't know any different. Judging by their complaint record, first time filers are not the only ones who have been fooled. BEWARE! Multiple attempts to speak to an actual live person on the phone have been made, no getting through yet & even if I succeed how am I to be sure they have deleted my family's personal and financial information before it could be used to steal my identity either by their company, their employees, or any other person who gained access. It is SCARY how easy they manipulate someone into giving sensitive information.

Review: I was attempting to return to the FAFSA application I started for my daughter and ended on their application site. The pages are nearly identical to the government page. I filled out the application and paid the Gold fees completely unaware that this was not the government site. Did not become aware of this until the company sent me an email.Desired Settlement: I would like my $ 89.99 back. I would also like assurances hat I am not obligated to this company in any way.

Business

Response:

Dear Ms. [redacted]:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on January 29, 2014 in regard to Ms. [redacted]’s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted]’s complaint she claims that our company’s website is nearly identical to the Government website and that she was not made aware that she was not at the Federal Processor’s website until after receiving email communication from our company. She has requested a refund of $84.99 and assurances that she is not obligated to our company in the future.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application – preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™ service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Ms. [redacted]’s complaint she claims that our company’s website is nearly identical to the Government website and that she was not made aware that she was not at the Federal Processor’s website until after receiving email communication from our company. If you review our company’s website, you will note that the webpage design looks nothing like the Federal Processor’s webpage and our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

“Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.”

Our company also lists its name “Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.

If you review our company’s homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education”.

“Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.”

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’s website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’s services.

Our company’s system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available on our company’s website for your review.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website.

Our records indicate that our company’s terms of use were agreed to and an account set up with our company on January 25, 2014. Our records indicate that during review and preparation of the application, issues were detected and communication was sent to Ms. [redacted]’s household. Our records do not show

communication from Ms. [redacted] requesting a refund or cancelation of service until receiving this request from your office.

To accommodate Ms. [redacted]’s request, our company has refunded the initial partial payment submitted to our company and have canceled services with our company.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns. We feel our company, once it was made aware, has expeditiously addressed Ms. [redacted]’s concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reachedMonday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Sincerely,

Bob Szrot

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: I thought I was filling out an application for financial aid and paying a fee to submit it. Not paying someone to help me fill out the application.

I went to FAFSA.com to fill out an application for financial aid. When I got to the point where they wanted me to pay a fee, I stopped because I didn't want to pay a fee to fill out a loan application. They called me 30 minutes later and convinced me to pay the fee because they said the sooner I do, the more likely I will be to get scholarships and grants. I paid the fee. About 5 minutes after I hung up, my financial aid advisor from the school I am applying to called me and I told him what had done. He said that I could have done it for free. He told me that I had just paid $90.00 for someone else to assist me in filling out my application. I did some research myself and realized he was exactly right. I thought I was submitting an application to the government for student financial aid and the people I spoke with made me feel like I was doing exactly that. I told the gentleman that I spoke with that I didn't agree with the idea of paying $90.00 to fill out a loan application and he said "I understand that but the sooner you do it, the more likely you are to get scholarships and grants". He didn't, at any point, tell me that I could do it for free with the government's website. He misled me to believe that I NEEDED to do it this way. I'm a 34 year old auditor with over 10 years experience and I do my own taxes. I don't need someone to help me fill out a loan application. When I called back 30 minutes later to ask for a refund, they told me that they COULD NOT refund my initial $30.99 payment but they could stop payment on the other two $30.99 payments that would be charged to my debit card over the next two months. They claimed they could not refund all of it because they had already submitted it for me. I argued very professionally and respectfully that they had misled me in the first place and I didn't need them to do that for me. They still refused.Desired Settlement: I want the money back that I believe I was misled into believing that I needed to pay. That exact dollar amount is 30.99.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on September 6, 2013 in regard to Mr. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Mr. [redacted]'s statement he alleges that our company misled him into utilizing our company's service and did not inform him of the option of filing for free with the Federal Processor. He has requested a refund of his partial payment for service.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Mr. [redacted]'s complaint he alleges that our company misled him by not informing him of the option of filing with the Federal Processor for free. If you review our company's website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education's website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov."

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage which specifically states "We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education".

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application."

"Become a client of the nation's oldest and largest student aid advisory firm. We are a non-government organization."

"Free FAFSA Services

If you are looking for free services to assist you with your FAFSA or the financial aid process, be sure to check out these support services.

>> Getting FAFSA help"

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Mr. [redacted] states in his complaint that he stopped working on his application once he was asked for a fee. Mr. [redacted] was informed that there is an option to file for free, without professional assistance, on our company's homepage and in its terms of use prior to submitting any information to our company, and prior to any possible contact with him by our company. Due to this fact, we feel Mr. [redacted]'s claim that he was misled by our company to be unfounded.

Our records indicate that the time between Mr. [redacted]'s interaction between our company's website, our staff, and his request for a refund did occur on the same day within a reasonably short period of time. Because of this, our company has issued a refund of his initial payment to address his concern and has canceled any further service by our company.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and consistently maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years. Our company believes that it provides a valuable to students and families who are looking for assistance in navigating the financial aid process.

We believe the above-mentioned explanation and actions address any concerns Mr. [redacted] may have regarding our company and are considering this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Consumer's Final Response

(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Review: I completed this on line form because it looked exactly like the FASFA form I have completed before. The red flag was when it asked for payment and said the application would not be processed without it. I was very hesitant but proceeded to pay the $79.99 only to realize after payment was submitted that this was not the actual FAFSA.edu.gov website. When I called the customer "no service" named Hector told me that I signed up for their service therefore there would be no refund. He was terrible and I'm appalled that they are even allowed to be in business. The FASFA application states it is free. I don't receive any kind of grant, loans or federal funds so it doesn't benefit me in any way. I simply completed the form because our financial counselor said to do it whether you need it or not. Instead, this company took me for $79.99.Desired Settlement: They owe me the $79.99 - I will put a stop payment on my AMEX

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on June 16, 2014 in regard to Ms. [redacted]’s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted]’s complaint she claims that she was not made aware that one can file without professional assistance for free. She has requested a refund of her service fee and that her application be canceled.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application – preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™ service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of

our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Ms. [redacted]’s complaint she claims that our company does not properly differentiate itself from the Federal Processor, and she was not made aware that she had the option to file for free without professional assistance. If you review our company’s website, you will note that our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

“Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.”

Our company also lists its name “Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.

If you review our company’s homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education”.

“Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.”

“The nation’s oldest and largest student aid advisory firm. We are a non-government organization.”

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’s website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’s services.

Our company’s system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available on our company’s website for your review.

Our records indicate that our company’s terms of use were agreed to and application information was provided to our company on June 15, 2014. As per our advertised services, the application was reviewed, prepared and submitted to the Federal Processer on June 16, 2014. After our advertised services were provided, Ms. [redacted] contacted our company on June 16, 2014 and requested a refund. Due to the fact the application was prepared and submitted to the Federal Processor a refund was not provided. As per the terms of use which Ms. [redacted] agreed to, our company’s refund policy states:

“Effective as of June 17, 2009, if you notify us that you are not satisfied with the Services within seven (7) days of any billing of our Services, SFAS will issue you a refund of the Fees paid by you for such Services, less a service charge. The service charge will be $10.00 if your application has not been reviewed and submitted to ED or $35.00 if your application has already been reviewed and submitted to the ED. If for any reason the service charge is greater than the Fees paid by you for such Services, then SFAS will cancel the application with no refund due to you.”

In the interest of client satisfaction, and due to the time frame between Ms. [redacted] initiating service and requesting her refund, our company has issued a refund for her service fee and has canceled her service with our company.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our

website. We apologize for any confusion Ms. [redacted] may have experienced during her interaction with our company. We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted]’s concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time at ###-###-####.

Review: FAFSA.com is NOT a legitimate company, and they are scamming people out of their money AND stealing all of your personal information for potential future identity theft. Future students applying for financial aid help that land on this website have to enter the same personal information as the fafsa.ed.gov website. Once you're at the end they ask for payment (which applying for federal student aid is FREE) - for those that supply a credit card and submit get charged in addition to having their personal information stolen.Desired Settlement: Refund for money stolen and identity information protected if that is even possible.

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on April 1, 2014 in regard to Mr. [redacted]’ concerns with our service.

In Mr. [redacted]’ complaint he alleges that our company is not legitimate and accuses our company of scamming people out of their money and stealing personal information for identity theft purposes.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application – preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™ service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Mr. [redacted]’ complaint he claims our company scams people out of their money and steals personal information. If you review our company’s website, you will note that our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

“Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.”

Our company also lists its name “Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.

If you review our company’s homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education”.

“Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.”

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’s website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’s services.

Our company’s system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available on our company’s website for your review.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website.

Our records indicate that Mr. [redacted] agreed to our company’s terms of use; and submitted payment and application information to our company on March 27, 2014. Our records do not show contact by Mr. [redacted] to discuss any concerns he had with our company or payment for services until this notice of complaint by your office.

Our company is taking this complaint from your office to mean that Mr. [redacted] does not wish to continue with services from our company and would like to cancel said services. Our company is accommodating this request and issuing a full refund. To address Mr. [redacted]’ concerns related to privacy of information, our company has deleted sensitive information, such as Social Security Number(s), and financial information received from its records. Our company does retain basic contact information, such as name, address, email address, and telephone numbers for the purpose of preventing any future marketing by our company to Mr. [redacted] and as a record of his interaction with our company to address any concerns raised, such as this complaint from your office.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services. Our company respects the privacy of those that interact with it, and honors requests to be opted out from any future marketing by our company once we receive such a request.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for many years. We apologize for any confusion Mr. [redacted] may have experienced, but feel that our company makes a good faith effort to communicate properly with those that utilize its services and makes itself available to address raised concerns to those who wish to discuss them.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Mr. [redacted]’ concerns regarding our company. We feel our company, once it was made aware, has expeditiously addressed Mr. [redacted]’ concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time at ###-###-####.

Review: This site misleads customers to think its the governement site for finanical aid assistance.

Im a single mother of two and am in the process of getting back into school to better the lives of myself and my children. I have been out of school for a few years and fogot just exactly how to apply for government aid. I mistakenly went to the website www.fafsa.com instead of www.fafsa.gov. this site charged me money for what I later found out was FREE finanical aid. This site linked me to the federal website confusing matters further. I feel I was tricked into paying for unneeded services. They are misleading people very purposefully. When I spoke with customer service they agreed to stop any further payments to them though Im still out 27.99 I still worry that more will come of this because they have all of my financial information. They claim that our business relationship is over but how can I even believe that when I was tricked in the first place. I want to know how this website is even allowed to exisit. How are people trying to better their lives allowed to be tricked in such a way? I have since read the complaints of others which shows im obviously not the only "it" to fall for such a horrible scam. I am so appaled. Desired Settlement: I would love for the initial payment back and for proof in writing the my infomation is no longer in their system and cannot be used by their company for any reason.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office on June XX XXXX in regard to Mrs [redacted] concerns with our service in Ms [redacted] statement she alleges that our company is deliberately misleads the public into believing it is a government website She has requested that our company issue a refund of a partial payment made for service and has indicated privacy concerns related to information submitted to our company.

Our company student Financial Aid Services Inc is a fee based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals a As per the higher education opportunity act the US government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application -- preparing and filing the application oneself for free or filling using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer While filing a federal student aid form is free on the US department of education website the process is not easy and the US government has stated the 137 tax dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms For over 20 years Student Financial Aid services inc has prepared students federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible we offer our clients personalized advice expertise and easy to use internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors who walk one through a simplified process typically with in 15 20 minutes The application is checked for accuracy and filed electronically

Clients also have the option of using our Express FAFSA service where they enter their information on our secure website One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450 point FAFSACheck error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the sue of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the federal processor's website

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families including the Access for all program eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge

In Ms [redacted]'s compliant she claims our company looks like the US Department of Education website in order to fraudulently bill individuals If you review our company homepage you will note that it does not look like the Department of Educations website Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please not that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services Inc provided student financial aid advisory consolation and preparation services The FAFSA can be filed for free without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service Inc" on its pages if you review our company homepage you will see the following"

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage which specifically states "we are not affiliated with the Dept of Education"

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov Many people however choose to use a FAFSA preparer just like a tax preparer to provide personal advice consultation and review of their important FAFSA application"

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems our company's terms of use must be agreed to The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the US Department of Education that our company is a private for profit company and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processors website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online or accept payment unless these terms are accepted Our company's terms of use are available on our company website for your review

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and application information was submitted to our company online on June 6 2013 Ms [redacted] opted to utilize our company's installment billing option to submit payment As per our advertised service the application was reviewed prepared and submitted to the Federal Processor on June 6 2013 Ms [redacted] spoke with our company on June 10 2013 during which time she requested a refund.

When opting to utilize our company's installment payment program Ms [redacted] agreed to the following terms:

payment Plan Terms of Us-- Effective 11-7-2012

Student Financial Aid Services Inc.

A. Student Financial Aid Services In. ("SFAS") has developed an Payment Plan designed to make the payment of fees for your use of the Services more convenient Eligibility for the payment plan is based on the following requirements:

1-you ha e no holds on your SFAS account created by past collection actions

2- If you have participated in the Payment Plan in the past you have maintained a good record of timely payments

3- You agree to abide by these payment plan tems of use as well as the Terms of Use applicable to the services generally available at: http://www.fafsa.com/tou

B. Amounts payable under the payment plan may include administrative and service fees You have the right to pre-pay the entire balance owed including all applicable administrative and service fees at any time in your sole discretion You may be required to pay a late fee on minimum paymeents not received and posted by the applicable payment due dates Continued failure to pay a past due debt may result in immediate termination of services and the debt being referred to a collection agency. In that event all reasonable collection costs may be added to your account in addition to any service fees that have accrued on the account All refunds are subject to the refund policies of SFAS Refunds will not be issuable from credit balances on your account unless all payments under the payment plan have been made.

Our company's refund policy posted in the terms of use agreed to by Ms [redacted] states the following:

"Effective as of June 17 2009 if you notify us that you are not satisfied with the services within seven days of any billing of our services SFAS will issue you a refund of the fees payed by you for such services less a service charge The service will be $10 if your application has not been reviewed and submitted to the ED or $35 if your application has not been reviewed and submitted to ED If for any reason the service charge is greater than the fees paid by you for such services then SFAS will cancel the application with no refund due to you"

Due to the facts that our company had reviewed prepared and submitted the application and Ms. [redacted] did not complete her agreed upon payment schedule no refund was provided

Even though our company has provided the service as per the advertised service description in the interest of client satisfaction I have arranged for a refund of Ms [redacted] initial fee of $27.99

Due to the fact that our company is listed with the Federal processor as the preparer of record our company will not be able to delete Ms [redacted] application from our systems However our company has opted out Ms [redacted] from any further contact by our company As per our posted privacy policy our company does not sell information for any unsolicited marketing purposes Further details on our company's privacy policy can be located on our company's website

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms [redacted] concerns regarding our company and are considering this issue closed If we can be of further assistance regarding this issue our client relations department can be reached Monday through Friday form 9 am to 10 pm Eastern Time at XXX-XXX-XXXX

Review: I was lied too and led to believe this company was fafsa, and when I asked no one told me differenly. I was cheated out of money, and brushed off.

I went online to file a fafsa application to obtain a pell grant/loan to help pay for college. I did not finish my application. I received a call from a financial aid advisor, who left a vm saying they received an incomplete fafsa application for me, and wanted to assist me complete it so that I can get the maximum benefit allowed.

I called them back thinking I was calling someone from fafsa, a man answered and said he was connecting me to a fafsa advisor. The advisor (another young man)again told me they were gonna help me complete my application, and went on to say that people that use an advisor have a more accurate application, and get more money awarded to them when they speak with one of there advisor's. He asked me a series of questions that I had to spell out. I had to go find my tax information, and all the questions he asked are all the questions that are part of the fafsa application. He then explains to me that I will be charged a fee of $89.99, and I pause because I'm confused.

I thought fafsa was free to apply. I tell the person I am currently unemployed and that I don't understand why I'm being charged I thought this was supposed to be free. I've filed fafsa before and I didn't pay. He tells me yeah but I'm making sure your fafsa is filled accuratley and I'm assuring that you will get the maximum benefit amount because thats what they help people do.

I'm now thinking that I am not only speaking to fafsa but that I have to pay in order to get the maximum allowable benefits available to me, and I say to the guy "I don't understand what your doing for me that I can't do myself because your basically asking me for all the information I don't get why I can't do it myself,and again he reiterates that they do this for people all the time, and that he will assure that by him completing my fafsa I am getting the maximum allowed monies I can get from the grants and loans fafsa offers because he's adding accurate information that me and most people don't fill our applications our correctly and we lose out on monies.

I was very clearly uneasy, and I think it was more than obvious that I thought they were with fafsa because they represented themselves that way, but he kept going, and said my application is being processed. I asked if he could wait on processing because I was feeling like I don't need this, but he had already processed my application, and he told me I needed to go to fafsa's website and sign.

Anyway,I go to my school the following Monday I speak to the financial aid advisor at school, and I tell him about what happened, and he says "[redacted] fafsa stands for FREE application for federal student aid. You should not have had to pay anybody." So we look online trying to figure out who actually called me because now were both thinking someone [redacted] have taken my information for personal use becuase this was clearly a scam, and I pull up my email, and they are accredited, so I call Student financial aid service, they transfer me to a Client Specialist, who I explain in detail the mishap, and misrepresentation. Furthermore, my financial aid advisor at school tells me they cannot get me the maximum benefit thats something he has to do anyway because with me being unemployed he has another form to complete. Anyway, the person I talk to is not empathetic, or caring at all of my concern she basically has a thats that attitude, and would not budge from it.

I in turn had to contact my bank and report fraud because I was without a doubt duped into believing this company was actually with fafsa it was not until I called someone that I find out they are not. They repeatedly claimed that they were going to get me a maximum benefit for school, and they lied to me when I asked what they are doing differently for me that I could not do for myself. They made me beleive that they were doing something extra and different, and they cheated a single mother of 2 children, who is going back to school to be a nurse out of Desired Settlement: I want my $89.99 credited back to my account.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on [redacted] 13, 2013 in regard to Ms. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted]'s complaint she alleges that our company is misleading and does not make visitors aware that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education prior to submission of information to our company. Ms. [redacted] has indicated concerns regarding application information submitted to our company.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive� service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA� service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck� error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

If you review our company's website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education's website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov."

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage which specifically states "We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education".

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application."

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

If one contacts our company via telephone, they are presented with the following message prior to speaking to a staff member:

"Thank you for calling Student Financial Aid Services - the nation's largest FAFSA review and preparation service. Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance, via paper or electronic application at www.fafsa.ed.gov. "

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and information submitted to our company on February 28, 2013. Ms. [redacted] submitted payment to our company for service on [redacted] 3, 2013 and had two separate phone conversations with our company on [redacted] 3, 2013. As per our company's advertised service, the application was prepared and submitted to the Federal Processor on [redacted] 3, 2013. After services were provided, Ms. [redacted] contacted our company on [redacted] 9, 2013 and requested a refund.

Although Ms. [redacted] was informed both by our company's website and its phone system that our company is not professional service not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and services were provided as advertised and as per the terms of use Ms. [redacted] agreed to, I have arranged for Ms. [redacted]'s service to be canceled and a refund provided. Ms. [redacted] will be responsible for any further follow up with her application.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services. We apologize for any confusion that Ms. [redacted] have experienced due to her lack of observing the notices our company provides.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years. We apologize for any confusion Ms. [redacted] have experienced, but feel that our company makes a good faith effort to communicate properly with those that utilize its services.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company, once it was made aware, has expeditiously addressed Ms. [redacted]'s concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: I feel that FAFSA is misleading on the internet. It was the first item up when FAFSA was searched. I've never gone through the student financial aid process and didn't recognize a problem until after I filled out the application and paid. I realize they state (in fine print) within their descriptions that they are not the gov. agency, but I misunderstood and continued. Very misleading ... and I am an intelligent, educated person. I have tried to call them and noone is available and their offices are closed. I emailed a request that all application activity be refunded and cancelled with them. I also fear for how they will use all of the sensitive SS#s and DL #s included in the application. I have asked that all be deleted from their system with written proof given that that's been done. I want full refunds -- one for the FAFSA application and one for the college comparison service I inadvertently submitted and was charged for...Desired Settlement: RefundsDeletion of information

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on April 2, 2014 in regard to Ms. [redacted]’s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted]’s complaint she claims that our company is misleading and indicates that her request for a refund has not been addressed in a timely manner. She has requested that sensitive information submitted to our company be deleted from our company’s records.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application – preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™ service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Ms. [redacted]’s complaint she claims that notification that our company is not a government agency is in fine print and misleading. If you review our company’s website, you will note that our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

“Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.”

However, Our company also lists its name “Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.

If you review our company’s homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education”.

“Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.”

“The nation’s oldest and largest student aid advisory firm. We are a non-government organization.”

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’s website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’s services.

Our company’s system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available on our company’s website for your review.

Our records indicate that our company’s terms of use were agreed to and application preparation and College Cost and Planning Report Services purchased, on April 1, 2014. Ms. [redacted] sent an email to our company, outside business hours, requesting a cancelation of the College Cost and Planning Report Services. On April 2, 2014, our company’s call center experienced a loss of electrical power preventing standard operations. A notification was placed in our company’s telephone system notifying our clients of the situation.

To address Ms. [redacted]’s concern, I have arranged for a cancelation of service and a refund of the service fees paid. I have arranged for a deletion of sensitive information from our records, such as Social Security Number(s), Dates of Birth, and financial information. Our company does retain basic contact information, such as Name(s), addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers for the purpose of preventing any marketing by our company to Ms. [redacted] in the future and to act as a record of her interaction with our company. An email was sent to Ms. [redacted] informing of this. Our company feels the email notification of the deletion, as detailed above, and this formal response to your office addresses her need of written confirmation of her privacy concerns being addressed.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website. Our company regrets that due to uncontrollable circumstances, it was not able to field her telephone call, but feels that it has promptly addressed her concern in a timely manner.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time at ###-###-####.

Review: wrong site, partial application, being locked out of site.

My complaint, Application ID [redacted] my daughter went to the wrong site to fill out the fafsa, once we recognized, we called to cancel, we haven't even, completed the application. we received a phone call from Student Financial Aid Services, Inc, one of their Reps, and a message was left so I, [redacted] called back to have it cancelled, because she went to the wrong site, and we couldn't get back into the site, we were locked out, I believe so we would have to call them, I told them that she went to the wrong site and we want to cancel, I had to give some information to verified, so it can be cancelled, to me that's ridiculous, because a person should be able to go back to that same site, and cancel out any information without having to talk to a Rep, once we were lock out, I believe that's the way to get a telephone call. Therefore there should be no charges for anything. The application was started on Dec 26, 2013 and we received a voice mail on 26 Dec 2013, 7:05 Pm about completing the application. I returned the call on 27 Dec 2013 approximately 7:55, I said I filled out many fafsa applications and, I was told by the rep, Mr. [redacted], that the mistakes made in getting them, is the mistake I could make on my application that could lead to me getting less money. I never had to pay for any type of service, to help me get what money, that was for me.Desired Settlement: I only want my child, [redacted] information delete from their system, and she is not to be contacted any more by them. Any information that requires parent information should have the consent of the parent,before it is accepted. If a child has to use their parent financial information, apparently they are not financial set and on their own.

Business

Response:

December 31, 2013

Bob Szrot

Client Relations Department

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

9738 Lincoln Village Dr. Suite. 130

Sacramento, CA 95827

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on December 31, 2013 in regard to Ms. [redacted] concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted] complaint she indicates privacy concerns related to information submitted to our company's website.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive' service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA' service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck' error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Ms. [redacted] complaint she indicates her household submitted information to the wrong website. Our company makes efforts to inform, prior to any submission of information, that our company is a FAFSA preparation service. If you review our company's website, you will note that our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov."

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states "We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education".

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application."

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and information submitted to our company on December 26, 2013. Our records indicate that Ms. [redacted] household requested to be opted out from any future marketing communication from our company, which our company has honored since the request was made.

To address Ms. [redacted] additional concerns regarding information privacy, our company has deleted sensitive information such as Social Security Number(s), Date(s) of Birth and Financial information from our records. Our company does retain basic contact information for the purpose of acting as a record of the interaction with our company, to address complaints such as this one, and to prevent Ms. [redacted] household from any further contact from our company.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services. Our company respects the privacy of those that interact with it, and honors requests to be opted out from any future marketing by our company once we receive such a request.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years. We apologize for any confusion Ms. [redacted] may have experienced, but feel that our company makes a good faith effort to communicate properly with those that utilize its services.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted] concerns regarding our company. We feel our company, once it was made aware, has expeditiously addressed Ms. [redacted] concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Sincerely,

Bob Szrot

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: I was under the impression that I was filling out a federal form (FAFSA) for college financial aid. They now have sensitive information.

On February 6, I began the process of submitting information for general financial aid (FAFSA), to what I thought was the government website, but instead was for a service with a nearly identical web address. I was not aware of this until I got to the end, when credit card payment was requested. I then realized the error and did not submit my credit card number. However, all my personal information, my husband's, and my daughter's (social security numbers, home and cell phone numbers, and our financial information is in their possession, and I am unable to delete my account. Calls to them result in being told via a recording that they are "experiencing high call volume" -- so I have been unable to speak to anyone there to be able to get my and my family's personal information removed.Desired Settlement: I want all the data I entered removed, the account closed, and a letter verifying that they no longer have access to any of my and my family members' information and that none of it has been forwarded to any other parties.

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on January 8 2014 in regard to Ms.

[redacted] s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted] s complaint she has indicated concern over information that her household submitted to our

company.

In Ms. [redacted]'s complaint, she indicates that she was not aware that she was not at a government website

until reaching the payment page for our services. We would like to assure Ms. [redacted] that is not our

company's intention. Our company places multiple statements throughout its website to inform that our

company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and that there is a free alternative for those

that reach our company s website and choose not to utilize our services.

If you review our company s website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education's

website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA com and Student Financial

Aid Services Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can

be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov"

Our company also lists Its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages

ff you review our company s homepage, you will see the following:

There Is a statement in the upper right hand comer of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states "We

are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education" .

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional

assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax

preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application~"

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terrns of use, must be agreed to.

The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our

company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional

as\stance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor s website for those that

review the terms and choose not to use our company services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted,

Our company s terms of use are available on our company's website for your review

Our company feels that it is clear in its messaging that It Is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education

and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and information submitted to our

to our company on January 6, 2014. Our company shows record of an email sent by Ms. [redacted] on January 6, 2014

indicating Privacy concerns. Our company addressed this email on January 7, 2014 by deleting sensitive

information such as Social Security Number(s), Date(s) of Birth and Financial information from our records.

Our company does retain basic contact information for the purpose of acting as a record of the Interaction

with our company, to address complaints such as this one, and to prevent Ms. [redacted] s household from any

further contact from our company. A response was sent to Ms. [redacted] Informing of actions taken. on

1/7/2014, prior to receiving this complaint from your office.

Our company is a long-standing FAF5A preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government

authorized industry. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification that our company is not

affiliated with the U.S Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional

assistances and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company

and choose not to use our services.

Our company is a proud member of the setter Business Bureau and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has

also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years. We apologize for any

confusion Ms. [redacted] may have experienced, and for any extensive hold times she may have experienced.

We feel that our company addressed Ms. [redacted] s concems prior to receiving this complaint from your

office and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this Issue, our Client

Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:O0 AM to 1O:0O PM Eastern fime at [redacted]-

[redacted].

Review: The fafsa prep company debited $69.99 from my account without proper authorization for this transaction.

On October 10, 2013, my checking account was debited $69.99 for fafsa (graduate school financial aid paperwork preparation). My 2013 application was never completely processed and the graduate school that I attend [redacted] Graduate University) informed me that I was not eligible for student loans. They reported this information to this fafsa prep company; however, they proceeded to charge me for the preparation of form that I did not file. There was no need to file, because I am not eligible and they are aware of this fact. Not to mention, that they don't actually have a form to process. I would like my bank account credited. When I attempted to contact the company at the advertised number XXX-XXX-XXXX, I got a recorded message that provided no information on how to contact others than by phone -- which they will not answer.Desired Settlement: I would like my debit card/checking account credited for $69.99.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on October 15, 2013 in regard to Ms. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted]'s complaint she alleges that our company billed her without authorization and that upon no one answered the telephone when she attempted to call our company. She has requested that her service fee be refunded and services be canceled.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive' service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA' service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck' error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

Our company offers various service packages, of which, our Gold service plan offers the benefits of automatic renewal of service at a reduced rate along with additional reminders.

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use state the following regarding automatic annual billing:

"Clients may select service level options that include automatic annual billing* and access to special discounted fees for services relating to future student aid applications. If you request one of these payment options, you expressly agree that we are authorized to charge you a discounted annual fee, any applicable tax, and any other charges you may incur in connection with your use of our Services. You will be notified at least 10 days in advance of any billing via an e-mail sent to the address you supplied upon registration. You will have the opportunity to opt out of additional billing. If your e-mail address changes, you are responsible for updating your account details in order to receive these notifications. The subsequent annual fees, as outlined in your chosen pricing package, will be billed as early as September of each year for the next year's Services unless and until you advise us of your desire to cancel our Services. We reserve the right to cancel your service at our discretion, at any time, without notice to you. We will bill our Services to any credit or electronic check account that you provided to us in your account profile. We may also use commercially available services to update your credit card details.

*Please note that if there is another FAFSA application available for which you have not applied at the time of purchase, it is possible that you may be billed more than once in a calendar year.

For questions or to cancel our service, please call XXX-XXX-XXXX"

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Our records indicate that Ms. [redacted] opted for our Gold service plan when she initiated service via our company's website. Our records do not show a record of contact from Ms. [redacted] until October 15, 2013. During this interaction, our company accommodated her request for a refund and cancelation of service prior to receiving this complaint from your office. We note that the complaint received from your office was received by your office from Ms. [redacted] on Saturday, October 12, 2013. Our posted hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM Pacific Time. Our company does not find any issues that would have prevented Ms. [redacted] from reaching one of our staff during normal business hours but suspect, based on the date of the complaint being received by your office, that she attempted to contact our company outside normal business hours.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company addressed Ms. [redacted]'s concerns prior to receiving the complaint from your office and will continue to consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Final Consumer Response

(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Review: Very deceiving. When you search FAFSA this web site appears. Being a parent of my first child going to college , I was not aware of the form being free. When called to complain about what they actually did for me since I got a list full corrections that needed to be made are that "the processor basically puts in the info I told them". They stated "I was informed" that I was able to get assistance for free. I have to admit they train their employess to do that very good with unsuspecting consumers listening. The individual also informed me the conversation was recorded. Another good tactic of sneaking that one in. Well the company got my money. My bad but my last bad like this. My concern is I would like all information -personal/financial for all parites deleted. I would like a confirmation email/letter stating this fact. Should have read Revdex.com reviews before using the service.Desired Settlement: All of my personal/finanical information purged from there records and a confirmation email or letter stating the fact

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on March 30, 2014 in regard to Ms. [redacted]’s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted]’s complaint she claims that our company is deceptive and that she was not made aware that one can file without professional assistance for free. She has requested that sensitive information submitted to our company be deleted from our company’s records.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application – preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™ service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Ms. [redacted]’s complaint she claims that she was not made aware that she had the option of filing for free without professional assistance. If you review our company’s website, you will note that our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

“Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.”

Our company also lists its name “Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.

If you review our company’s homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education”.

“Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.”

“The nation’s oldest and largest student aid advisory firm. We are a non-government organization.”

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’s website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’s services.

Our company’s system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available on our company’s website for your review.

When contacting our company by telephone, our company informs that one can file the FAFSA without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov, and that calls may be recorded for quality assurance purposes.

Our records indicate that our company’s terms of use were agreed to and an account set up with our company and information submitted, without payment, on February 24, 2014. Ms. [redacted] contacted our company via telephone on February 27, 2014 and was informed of the option to file for free prior to submitting payment to our company via an option of installment payments. Ms. [redacted] provided information to our staff. The application was prepared and submitted to the Federal Processor on February 27, 2014. Ms. [redacted] contacted our company on March 19, 2014 claiming that she was not informed that she had the option to file for free and that errors were made on her form. Ms. [redacted] refused to discuss what those claimed errors were. Research on her claim that she was not properly informed that she had the option to file without professional assistance were found to be false. She was offered assistance in making updates to her form, which she refused.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website. Based on the information listed above, our company does not agree with Ms. [redacted]’s claim that she was deceived and not informed of her options. However, our company does wish her to be satisfied with a service that she has purchased, which she has indicated she is not. In the interest of client satisfaction, I have arranged for the two installment payments she has made for services provided to be refunded and her service with our company to be canceled. Due to the fact that our company is listed as the preparer of record, our company is not able to delete her application from its system at this time, however, our company has locked her account and opted Ms. [redacted] from any further contact by our company.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Review: A [redacted], working with Student Financial Aid Services, Inc., used bait & switch advertising to get my social security number.

To whom it may concern,

On December 31, 2013, using my University website, www.csusb.com, I tried to check the status of my fafsa student loan. A site that looked like the official fafsa site popped up on my computer and showed a phone number I could call - 1-866-514-8938, for help with my fafsa student loan account. I called the number and, thinking the number was linked to an official government agency, I gave them my full social security number when they requested it. I knew that the application was free, so when they asked me to pay $99 for their application service, I got suspicious and started looking at their online site more closely, while I was on the phone with their representative, [redacted]. I soon saw in the fine print that I was not at the official fafsa site - fafsa.ca.gov, but at fafsa.com, and that Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. belonged to the subsidiary group of Rezolve Group, Inc. Although I have a virus detection program that I pay for - McAfee, and I have a popup blocker, the Rezolve Group is somehow able to get fake popup sites of like official sites, as I try to access them. I constantly have to be vigilant to defend against their invasive advertising sites. This time though, they were able to get past my usual paranoia and attained my social security number. I would never have given it, if I had thought that it was not an official governemnt site. I demanded that they erase all information pertaining to me and asked [redacted] that she erase my social security number and all info about me from their records. She promised that she would do so. However, I was amazed to see that this service has an A+ rating with Revdex.com. So, I imagine they are doing a good job of fooling not only me, but the Revdex.com as well. I would appreciate it if you could look deeper into this organization, as I am now having to look into Identity Theft protection measures to protect my credit information, and help assure me that my personal information is secure.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

[redacted]Desired Settlement: I would like guarantees that this company will not use my personal information or give it out to 3rd parties, that they will assure me that they will hold themselves liable if anything should happen to me, such as identity theft, because of my giving them my personal information. I would also like them to block their ability to send pop ups to my computer.

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on January 3, 2013 in regard to Mr. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Mr. [redacted]'s complaint he alleges that our company is misleading and does not make visitors aware that it is not affiliated with the US Department of Education. He also indicates privacy concerns related to information provided to our company's website.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive' service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA' service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Mr. [redacted]'s complaint he indicates contacted our company after being connected to it via his school website www.csusb.com. He indicates that our company's website looked like the US Department of Education website. Our company makes efforts to inform, prior to any submission of information, that our company is a FAFSA preparation service. If you review our company's website, you will note that our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov."

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage which specifically states "We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education".

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application."

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Mr. [redacted] also indicates that he provided his Social Security number after phoning our company. Our company's phone system, prior to being connected with a staff member, informs of our company's name that it is a leading FAFSA preparer and informs that the FAFSA can be filed without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. As one of multiple points of security procedure, our staff may request a Social Security Number to locate an account and verify the identity of those that interact with our company. Our company also notes that the website Mr. [redacted] references as his school's website, www.csusb.com, is not a school website, but links to an search website not affiliated with our company.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the US Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and an account set up with our company on December 31, 2013. Our records indicate that Mr. [redacted] contacted our company on December 31, 2013 and does not show a record of a request to be opted out from further communication.

Our company does not show a record of any sensitive information on file, Social Security Number, financial information, etc., on file. To address Mr. [redacted]'s concerns, our company has opted him out of any future marketing by our company. Our company does not retain basic contact information for the purpose of acting as a record of the interaction with our company, to address complaints such as this one. This information will not be sold for marketing purposes.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the US Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services. Our company respects the privacy of those that interact with it, and honors requests to be opted out from any future marketing by our company once we receive such a request.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over six years. We apologize for any confusion Mr. [redacted] may have experienced, but feel that our company makes a good faith effort to communicate properly with those that utilize its services.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Mr. [redacted]'s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company, once it was made aware, has expeditiously addressed Mr. [redacted]'s concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Review: Company is very misleading. my mistake at first - took money for this year and I never authorized continued business!

I was brought to their site - preparing a FAFSA for my kids. I thought it was a federal site - didn't know bette r- very misleading! I went throught with the process, however never agreed to continue any business relationship with them and informed them as such! They helped themselves to my bank account using last year's billing information. I can't afford to go without any om my money and they are non responsive to my emails and calls - hold times are terrible!Desired Settlement: I want an immediate refund!

Business

Response:

am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on January 8, 2014 in regard to Ms. [redacted] concerns with our service.

In Ms [redacted] complaint she states she was charged for a renewal of service without her authorization. Ms. [redacted] has requested a refund for the service fee of paid to our company.

Review: In 2011, we signed a contract with Student Aid Services for their [redacted] The contract was for $3,000 per year for 3 years. We were not explained that the contract was binding for 3 years, and not able to be cancelled. We were told that the $3,000 per year was an 'annual service fee'. After 1.5 years into the contract, we inquired into cancelling the contract. However the company told us that we could cancel, but we would have to pay the remaining $6,000 of the contract. I asked why we would have to pay the remaining $6,000, as we thought the $3,000 per year was an 'annual maintenance fee'. However they changed the story and stated that the cost of building the product was $9,000, and they amortized it over 3 years. I do not believe this as it is a web product, and definitely does not cost $9,000 to build out. Even though we deleted the product in the summer of 2012, we paid the $3,000 for the whole year. But we were billed again in 2014. We told the company that we have financial problems and cannot afford to pay this amount. But they did not want to work with us and are charging us the remaining $3,000 anyway. We feel that this is not fair as we have not taken any free services from the company. We have paid for whatever we have used and the company should have the goodwill to allow us not to pay for services we have not used. My company is undergoing serious financial distress, and I am personally under financial distress as well. I am requesting SFAS to consider my financial situation in their judgment of this case.Desired Settlement: We have not used the service at all in 2013. It was deleted back in 2012, and SFAS knew that we had deleted it. Therefore there was nothing to maintain, and we should not be charged an 'annual maintenance fee' for 2013. We would not like to be charged for services we haven't used. We have already paid $6,000 into this product and have compensated the company more than fairly for whatever we have used. We would like any remaining balance to be cancelled.

Consumer

Response:

I would like to remove my complaint from the Revdex.com website. The business has resolved the issue to my satisfaction.

Review: This business is set-up to intercept searches for FAFSA and dubiously collect confidential information that can allow them to breach/steal people's identity.It is only after filling up the FAFSA application information that one realizes that you cannot file until you pay them $79.What happens with the private information they collect is suspect. Actual FAFSA does not collect as much information as they do.Desired Settlement: I demand that my private information collected by purged from their record, and provide a guarantee letter on how the data collected was secured such that my identity information was not accessible and/or stolen or sold.

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on February 3, 2014 in regard to Ms. **’s concerns with our service.

In Ms. **’s complaint she alleges that our company dubiously collects confidential information in an effort to breach/steal people’s identity. Ms. ** has indicated concerns regarding application information submitted to our company. She has requested that sensitive information be removed from our company’s systems and that a letter be mailed to her providing information related to our company’s information collection and security practices.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application – preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™ service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Ms. **’s complaint, she states that our company “is set-up to intercept searches for FAFSA and dubiously collect confidential information that can allow them to breach/steal people’s identity. It is only after filling up the FAFSA application information that one realize that you cannot file until you pay them $79.” Our company is taking Ms. **’s statement to mean that she believes our company is misleading and does not inform that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that it does not make individuals aware that that there is an option to file for free without professional assistance.

If you review our company’s website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education’s website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

“Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.”

Our company also lists its name “Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.

If you review our company’s homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage which specifically states “We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education”.

“Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.”

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’s website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’s services.

Our company’s system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available on our company’s website for your review.

Our records indicate that our company’s terms of use were agreed to and information submitted to our company, without payment on February 2, 2014. Our records do not show any additional contact from Ms. ** regarding her concerns until the receipt of this complaint from your office.

To address Ms. **’s concerns regarding information privacy, our company has deleted sensitive information such as Social Security Number(s), Date(s) of Birth and Financial information from our records. Our company does retain basic contact information for the purpose of acting as a record of the interaction with our company, to address complaints such as this one, and to prevent Ms. **’s household from any further contact from our company.

As per Ms. **’s request, in her complaint, I have drafted and mailed her a letter informing our company’s information collection and security practices and to confirm that sensitive information has been deleted, as detailed above.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services. Our company respects the privacy of those that interact with our website and uphold high standards regarding information privacy. We apologize for any concern, Ms. **’s interaction with our company may have caused.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. **'s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company has expeditiously addressed Ms. **’s concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Sincerely,

Bob Szrot

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: false or misleading advertisement and misrepresentation. deception involving a government aid to students seeking a higher educationDesired Settlement: they should provide more specific information on their website so vulnerable students are not deceived into thinking they are applying for federal student aid

Business

Response:

June 02, 2015 [redacted]Client Relations DepartmentStudent Financial Aid Services, Inc.[redacted]Sacramento, CA 95827 Mr. [redacted]C/o Revdex.com of Northeast Sacramento3075 Beacon Blvd.West Sacramento, CA 95691 RE: Case # [redacted] – [redacted] Dear Mr. [redacted]: I am writing in response to the noticeforwarded to me from your office, May 29th, 2015 in regard to Ms. [redacted]’sconcerns with our service. In Ms. [redacted]’s complaint she alleges thatour company uses false and misleading advertisement and misrepresentation. Shefurther alleges that we practice “deception involving a government aid tostudents seeking a higher education’. Ms. [redacted] includes a request that weprovide more specific information on our website so vulnerable students are notdeceived into thinking they are applying for Federal Student Aid. Our company, Student Financial AidServices, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated tohelping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue theircollege goals. As per the HigherEducation Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options forfiling the federal student aid application – preparing and filing theapplication oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSApreparer. While filing a federal studentaid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process isnot easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and otherfinancial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income taxforms. For over twenty (20) years,Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aidapplications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice,expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the collegefinancial aid application quick and accurate. Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through asimplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, andfiled electronically. Clients also have the option of usingour ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our securewebsite. One of our knowledgeableStudent Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-pointFAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors beforeelectronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processorwithout the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit fromthe Federal Processor’s website. Othercomparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their ownis located on our website. Our company also proudly provides andsupports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low incomefamilies, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from lowincome families can utilize our services free of charge. If you review our company’s website,you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education’swebsite. Our website pages contain thefollow statement at the bottom of each page: “Please note that this site is notaffiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student FinancialAid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation andpreparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professionalassistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.” Our company also lists its name“Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.If you review our company’s homepage,you will see the following: There is a statement in the upperright hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We arenot affiliated with the Dept. of Education”. “The nation’s oldest and largeststudent aid advisory firm. We are anon-government organization.” “Using a FAFSA PreparerLike filing your taxes, the FAFSA canbe filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistanceat www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, justlike a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review oftheir important FAFSA application.” Prior to the submission of anyinformation into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreedto. The terms of use inform that ourcompany is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our companyis a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for freewithout professional assistance. Ourcompany’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’s websitefor those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’s services. Our company’s system will not allowusers to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available onour company’s website for your review. Our company feels that it is veryclear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department ofEducation and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to useour services. Review of our company records does notfind a record of Ms. [redacted] or of an individual with the same contactinformation provided by Ms. [redacted] in her complaint. Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparationand advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry andutilizes a valid URL that is relevant to the service and industry it operatesin. Our company feels that it providesample, clear that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option tofile for free without professional assistance, and even provides informationregarding the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our companyand choose not to use our services. Ourcompany respects the privacy of those that interact with our company and doesnot share information without client consent Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com andmaintains an A rating. Our company hasalso consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for overfive years and servicing over 300,000 clients. We apologize for any confusion Ms. [redacted] may have experienced, but feelthat our company makes a good faith effort to communicate properly with thosethat utilize its services. We feel that the above mentionedexplanation and actions address Ms. [redacted]’s concerns regarding ourcompany. We feel our company addressedMs. [redacted]’s concerns regarding the complaint from your office and willconsider this issue closed. If we can beof further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Departmentcan be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM Eastern Time at[redacted] Sincerely, [redacted]Client Relations ManagerStudent Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: This company obviously is trying to obtain business by misrepresenting themselves as a government agency. Collecting Soc Sec. # & other vital info

This company is obviously trying to obtain business by misrepresenting themselves as a government agency. Collecting Social Security, drivers license # & other vital information under the guise of being a branch of the government. Then not allowing you to back out and or delete information, when at the end you realize its a scam. This is coercion. Why is this being allowed? This company needs to be shut down immediately and all of its records ceased and destroyed. On top of the money they are collecting, who knows what they are doing with the personal information. It is sickening to see what some people will do for money.Desired Settlement: Destroy all my information submitted

Shut down before a costly tax payer funded investigation does so.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on August 16, 2013 in regard to Mr. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Mr. [redacted]'s complaint he accuses our company of being a scam and alleges that our company represents itself as the U.S. Department of Education. Mr. [redacted] has indicated concerns regarding application information submitted to our company and has requested that our company cease its business operations immediately.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive' service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA' service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck' error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

If you review our company's website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education's website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov."

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states "We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education".

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application."

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and information submitted to our company on August 14, 2013.

To address Mr. [redacted]'s concerns regarding information privacy, our company has deleted sensitive information such as Social Security Number(s), Date(s) of Birth and Financial information from our records. Our company does retain basic contact information for the purpose of acting as a record of the interaction with our company, to address complaints such as this one, and to prevent Mr. [redacted] from any further contact from our company.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services. Due to these facts, we do not feel Mr. [redacted]'s request that our company cease its business operations as reasonable.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years. We apologize for any confusion Mr. [redacted] have experienced. However, we feel that our company makes a good faith effort to communicate properly with those that utilize its services. We hope the above-mentioned information clarifies any misunderstanding Mr. [redacted] may have regarding our company.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Mr. [redacted]'s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company, once it was made aware, has expeditiously addressed Mr. [redacted]'s concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: website misleads customer to think they are completing a FAFSA submission asking for personal/financial info rather than a review service

Business's website is www.fafsa.com and their website replicates the official FAFSA submission website (www.fafsa.gov). Website does not indicate that it is a review service until after personal and financial information is provided and it now requests payment. There is no option to delete information entered, once it is obvious that this is NOT the official FAFSA submission website. Desired Settlement: website address should be changed and website should announce in BOLD distinct wording that it is not the official FAFSA government website.

All data should be deleted if user has entered any and does not agree to making a payment.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on July 8, 2013 in regard to Ms. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted]'s complaint she alleges that our company is misleading and does not make visitors aware that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education prior to submission of information to our company. Ms. [redacted] has indicated concerns regarding application information submitted to our company and has requested that our company place bold distinct wording on its website informing that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive� service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA� service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck� error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

If you review our company's website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education's website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov."

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states "We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education".

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application."

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and information submitted to our company on July 5, 2013. Our company does not show a record of contact from Ms. [redacted] to discuss her concerns directly with our company.

To address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns regarding information privacy, our company has deleted sensitive information such as Social Security Number(s), Date(s) of Birth and Financial information from our records. Our company does retain basic contact information for the purpose of acting as a record of the interaction with our company, to address complaints such as this one, and to prevent Ms. [redacted]'s household from any further contact from our company.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years. We apologize for any confusion Ms. [redacted] have experienced, but feel that our company makes a good faith effort to communicate properly with those that utilize its services.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company, once it was made aware, has expeditiously addressed Ms. [redacted]'s concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

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Description: Scholarships & Financial Aid

Address: 9738 Lincoln Village Dr Ste 130, Sacramento, California, United States, 95827-3380

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