An AI-powered chatbot could help move the needle on Washington’s stubbornly low FAFSA completion rate.

According to a recent report from the Washington Student Achievement Council, students who subscribe to OtterBot, a text-based chatbot developed by the organization, were more likely to fill out college financial aid forms than peers who didn’t. WSAC is careful not to attribute the boost directly to the bot, as other factors may influence the completion rates for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. However, the data is a promising sign of the bot’s potential impact.

“We remind the heck out of students about FAFSA,” said Sarah Weiss, director of college access initiatives at WSAC.

Last year, around 56% of OtterBot’s primary audience — low-income families who qualify for the st

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