Go Financial Aid - Advisors and Consultants

Pitt Student Develops A Winning Business Model
The Pitt News
Marquelle Mathews
4/13/2006

His powder blue button-down shirt is tucked neatly into Dockers dress pants that couldn't be more flawlessly creased if he used a ruler. His captivating smile illuminates his chestnut colored eyes, causing their corners to crinkle just a little. An air of confidence, born from success, defines his gait. His handshake asserts accomplishment.

Andrew Reichert has it together.

Reichert, a junior, recently placed second in the Tepper Venture Challenge, a business plan competition held annually by Carnegie Mellon University. He is the first student in the University of Pittsburgh's history to place in the top five.

"It is an honor to be selected as the second place winner in such a competitive competition," he said.

His business plan, Go Financial Aid, is a financial aid assistance company. Go Financial Aid's customer service representatives would essentially guide students through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid from start to finish of their college careers.

Reichert's interest in the financial aid process was sparked by his own dissatisfaction with it. He said that he and his father had a lot of difficulty filling out the FAFSA, which, according to Reichert, contains 101 blanks. He said that this exceeds the number found on the most difficult tax form.

He said that he missed out on grants as a result of his trouble with the form. Determined to fix the problem, he began asking students and parents their opinions on the financial aid process.

"I asked around and found that many other students had difficulty with it as well, and I thought to myself, 'There has to be a solution,'" Reichert said.

Reichert developed the business plan through a cross-registered course he enrolled in last semester at CMU on entrepreneurship.

He said Go Financial Aid differs from its competitors because it provides assistance through the entire education process; therefore, students and parents do not have to bounce back and forth between multiple companies along the way.

"[Go Financial Aid] will provide one place to get all the help students and parents need to submit forms for loans, scholarships and grants promptly and correctly," he said.

Reichert was one of more than 30 contestants from six schools in the Tepper Venture Challenge. As compensation for his second-place finish, he received a $3,000 cash prize. He has also been invited to travel across the country with his plan to Colorado State University for Venture Adventure, which is a national competition that allows one representative from each of the schools to participate.

Aside from researching for his future company, Reichert definitely keeps himself busy.

He is a marketing major and is earning certificates in international business and leadership and ethics, while maintaining a 3.94 cumulative GPA. This qualifies him as a University Scholar, which means that he is in the top 2 percent of his class. He is also a member of the Entrepreneurs' Society and Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society at Pitt.

Additionally, he is the assistant marketing director of College Prowler, a globally recognized company that publishes guides for the top 200 colleges, written by students for prospective students.

Luke Skurman, CEO of College Prowler, said he agrees with Reichert that there is a great need for assistance in the financial aid process.

"I'm really excited to continue to be involved with Go Financial Aid," he said. "It makes a lot of sense to a lot of people, so I anticipate that it will be a success."

Skurman was the 2002 Tepper Venture Challenge winner, and he said that he is confident Reichert's business plan will fare well in the competition in Colorado.

"A lot of people are all talk, but Andrew, he's all action," he said. "He capitalizes on every opportunity and continues to impress me everyday. He's going to be a huge success in life, I'm certain of that."