Despite recent claims to the contrary, the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) cycle is not over. In recent days, the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) has observed articles and posts using language stating that this FAFSA
cycle has come to a close. We assure you that it hasn’t. In fact, students can still apply for financial aid for the 2024-25 academic year through June 30, 2025. In other words, there’s still time to complete the
FAFSA and get aid for the upcoming Fall and Spring semesters!
Historically, June 30 has been viewed by NCAN as a key milestone for understanding a high school graduating class’s progress towards completing the FAFSA. Despite our observation of this milestone, we continue to track and report on high school seniors’ FAFSA completions throughout the summer and will carry on doing so this year into the fall.
As of June 30, the FAFSA completion rate for the high school class of 2024 stood at 46%, down 11.6% from this time in 2023. However, given that students still have a year to apply for aid they can use during the 2024-25 academic year, NCAN is hoping to increase completion rates via summer supports and a nationwide outreach campaign.
With funding from the US Department of Education, NCAN and many of our members are launching a variety of initiatives this summer to encourage students and their families
to complete the FAFSA. Below are a few examples:
Achieve Atlanta (GA) is supporting Atlanta Public Schools seniors and Achieve Atlanta Scholars to complete the FAFSA and enroll this fall. The organization will hiring summer
interns to conduct outreach, provide 1:1 and group FAFSA assistance, and aid students with summer melt challenges. Data dashboards and case management tools are being created to track student progress in real-time and support targeted messaging
and interventions.
Citrus County Coalition for College and Careers (FL) is incentivizing recent graduates with a bonus structure that rewards FAFSA submissions and completions. They have also observed the power that peer-to-peer connection brings.
College Possible Minnesota (MN) is providing free FAFSA support for any Minnesota students struggling with submitting or completing the FAFSA. Through
a dedicated web site, any Minnesota student and their family members can schedule free 1:1 FAFSA completion support with a College Possible Minnesota team member who is trained on FAFSA support. Additionally, College Possible Minnesota is providing
communications resources to the broader education community, including a letter of introduction, social media graphics, newsletter banners, QR codes, and messages that high school counselors and principals can use in their email's Out of Office
responses directing students to College Possible Minnesota FAFSA completion support. College Possible Minnesota is also available to co-host FAFSA events with schools. Their staff is travelling with FAFSA expertise, laptops, student incentives,
and food all geared toward helping students and families complete the FAFSA. This support is being provided all summer.
Granite Edvance (NH) is promoting the importance of the FAFSA, informing students and families that it’s not too late to file; hiring temporary staff members to directly support
students and families throughout the state in FAFSA-filing; facilitating additional filing events across New Hampshire; and advertising those events as well as Granite Edvance’s free services, including 1:1 filing support. The initiative is targeting
not just graduating seniors but students who may have filed FAFSAs in prior years and have not done so this year due to confusion or frustration over the new form.
Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority – KHEAA (KY) is completing two FAFSA boot camp trainings serving nearly 250 college access professionals who will each
take home a stipend to host FAFSA tailgate events in their areas with the goal of helping recent graduates get the FAFSA completion help they need to start college this fall. They estimate 150 FAFSA tailgate events will occur in Kentucky over
the next 60 days. KHEAA is interested in deploying virtual trainings and smaller stipends for additional events.
Missouri College and Career Attainment Network – MOCAN (MO) is providing stipends to counselors so they can support students both virtually and in person. Furthermore, MOCAN
is hosting two in person FAFSA completion events and conducting a media campaign about the resources available to help students file their FAFSA. They are collaborating with the Missouri College Advising Corps on their efforts.
More Than Bootstraps (NJ) is facilitating peer-to-peer FAFSA completion work as well as paying student mentors to help other students complete the form. They are also
collaborating with local community colleges to help them prepare to help incoming students with FAFSA completion.
Washington Student Achievement Council (WA) is mailing all college-bound eligible students postcards in English and Spanish with financial aid information and where they can get virtual,
one-on-one FAFSA help.
NCAN is also offering a free-to-use social media toolkit (available in both English and Spanish) that many members and friends are deploying on their own channels to encourage FAFSA completions.
The toolkit contains pre-drafted posts, videos, and graphics for Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn, as well as an informational one-pager, that are designed for anyone to use and customize.
NCAN will continue to encourage students and their families to complete the 2024-25 FAFSA, and with the help of our partners and funders, further increase FAFSA completion rates. Please share this article and let the students you serve know that there’s
still time to complete a 2024-25 FAFSA!
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