By Catherine Brown, Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy
Reading time: Five minutes
Today, the US Department of Education (ED) announced a new program called the FAFSA Student Support Strategy
to help school districts, states, nonprofit organizations, and other public and private organizations with efforts to boost Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion.
This program will provide up to $50 million, “to support organizations with demonstrated experience expanding college access and enrollment. The funding will be prioritized for organizations currently working with schools and districts,
and those that have deep ties with students and families which have the reach and capacity to help decrease barriers and increase FAFSA submission.” It will be administered by ECMC.
"The Student Support Strategy will provide much-needed funding to help students complete the FAFSA. We appreciate ED making funds available at this critical time. National College Attainment Network [NCAN] members are ready to provide these supports to
close the FAFSA completion gap,” said NCAN CEO Kim Cook.
The FAFSA Student Support Strategy will, “help grow capacity for organizations to expand the availability of advisors, counselors, and coaches to support students and contributors through FAFSA applications,” stated ED’s press release. It will also, “facilitate FAFSA submission clinics, including through partnerships with schools and districts, and provide transportation support as needed. Additionally, these funds will provide communication supports
to help organizations communicate with parents and students via text, phone calls, and videoconferences, in multiple languages as needed.”
In a call with NCAN and other stakeholders prior to the release, US Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten conveyed the importance of nonprofit organizations to help close the FAFSA completion gap. “We know the power of community organizations…and
we are counting on you, your networks and your expertise…to close the FAFSA completion gap,” she said.
This investment builds on the ED’s College Support Strategy, announced in February, the FAFSA Week of Action, which took place April 15-19, 2024, and direct communication efforts in the ED’s FAFSA Fast News blog. For information about
the fund, please contact fafsasupport@ecmc.org. NCAN will share additional details about this opportunity with our members as they become available.
NCAN members are already working across the country to boost FAFSA completion rates, especially among students with the greatest financial need. Here are just a few of hundreds of examples of the on-the-ground actions already underway:
Achieve Atlanta is hiring near peer counselors to provide personalized FAFSA completion and college enrollment support, hosting FAFSA completion community events, and providing
incentives to counselors and students who complete the FAFSA.
Alabama Possible is providing support for high school counselors, career coaches and postsecondary access organizations through their Alabama Goes to College Toolkit. They
are also running an Alabama Goes to College Help Desk, which provides texts, emails, and phone options for students, families, and educators who seek guidance on FAFSA and college application completion.
BreakThrough Central Texas is hosting a series of “Senior Sprint Weeks” where they schedule a week at their partner schools where they focus on triaging the tasks that are
most urgent for seniors. They have also created an MOU with a trustworthy (and bilingual) tax service so now tax filing, ITIN requests, and more are free for their families, eliminating another barrier for families to complete the FAFSA.
College AIM in Atlanta, GA is increasing hours of current high school and college access counselors, providing stipends to peer coaches to provide personalized FAFSA support, and
providing incentives to boost completion.
College Possible Minnesota is launching a new FAFSA support program that any student in Minnesota can access. Students will be able to schedule one on one coaching with our program staff to navigate the FAFSA system. They are also partnering with other CBOs and state leaders to encourage students and families to complete the FAFSA and engage in the supports being provided as needed.
Collegiate Directions in Maryland is providing more one-on-one direct service to students and families in Montgomery County and Washington, DC on FAFSA completion, corrections,
verification, and interpreting award letters; facilitating professional development sessions for high school counselors and other; and presenting financial aid information on how to access state financial aid in Maryland.
College Success Foundation in Washington, DC and Washington state is convening partners (CBOs, schools, districts, and funders) to leverage their collective expertise
and resources; providing stipends and grants to CBOs and other partners to support additional office hours, completion events, summer support and more personalized attention.
Crosby Scholars in Forsyth County, NC is hiring retired counselors to enable surge capacity through the FAFSA completion and college enrollment process.
Get Schooledcreated and is sharing 100+ student-friendly financial aid articles, videos, and resources, promotes FAFSA information on social media (with nearly three million impressions so far), and continues to support thousands of students across the US on financial aid completion via text message.
Latino U College Access is hosting FAFSA boot camps in partner schools with the support of volunteers. FAFSA boot camps have resulted in a completion rate of 57% and 45 volunteers
have donated 165 hours to assist students at these events.
Michigan College Access Network is offering: FAFSA Specialist Badging, a series of professional trainings on strategies and resources to equip higher education professionals,
CBO staff and K-12 professionals added statewide capacity; Streamlined Communications and Support Materials; FAFSA Completion Data Tracking by school, district and city, and sending weekly updates to communicate and celebrate growth and success;
and FAFSA Grants and Incentives to promote FAFSA strategies and celebrate successes.
SoCalCAN in Southern California is offering dedicated extra hours to support students and high school partners, running a student-led social media campaign encouraging
FAFSA completion, advancing the LA College Comeback Campaign aimed at getting stopped out students back on the college pathway, and hosting a series of workshops around the city in partnership with LA Cash for College to provide one-on-one help
to students and families, especially students from mixed status families.
Texas College Access Network is offering free near-peer financial aid, college enrollment advising throughout the state of Texas, extended FAFSA completion events and trainings,
and providing a FAFSA completion data dashboard with detailed information by high school.
As of April 26, 2024, 35.6% of high school seniors had completed a FAFSA compared with 48.2% at this time last year. Completion rates are even lower in high schools
with high proportions of students of color and those from low-income families. This new fund aims to provide crucial support to organizations working with students to ensure that everyone who wants to pursue post-secondary education completes a FAFSA.
NCAN has been advocating for funding to provide summer FAFSA completion and college enrollment support. We are also hard at work organizing a social media #DoTheFAFSA campaign in partnership with GMMB, a national, cause-driven communications firm. This effort is targeted at reaching students from families earning less than $60,000 and students of color to encourage them
to do the FAFSA.
As always, we welcome your questions and comments and will keep the updates coming your way.
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