Increasing FAFSA Completion
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be a complicated application, filled with questions about a family's financial information. However, we know that because many families never start, or never complete, the FAFSA - students are not receiving the federal funds and other financial assistance that could assist them in attaining their post-secondary education. As part of intentional planning toward helping students increase their career and college readiness the Academies of Racine in the Racine Unified School District had set an objective as part of their master planning to create goals and workflow processes to increase the number of FAFSA completion for graduating seniors.
That’s why in 2021, we began working with the Academies of Racine to focus on FAFSA completion. In October, along with community partners, we worked with Racine Unified to organize, plan, and facilitate a weeklong FAFSA completion campaign, focused on ensuring more students understand the options available for them post high school, and how completing the FAFSA can help them achieve their post-secondary goals. Volunteers and partners from College Goal Wisconsin, Gateway Technical College, UW Parkside and Carthage College all provided support and boots on the ground for the fall events.
Each comprehensive high school received the support to plan FAFSA completion sessions both during the day and at evening events in the fall. More than 83 students attended either an informational or work session, and of those 83 students, 43 attended with at least one parent or guardian.
Efforts continued in coordination with RUSD staff, we helped create a Financial Aid Friday communications campaign. On designated Friday’s communications around FASFA and financial aid are shared intentionally on social media. This included deadlines for UW system scholarships, what kinds of documentation you need to complete the FAFSA, FAQ’s and more.
Additionally, once student level data was available from the government that is being shared with administrative staff so that they are able to do one on one outreach to students who may have started but not completed or have not submitted a FAFSA application to offer assistance.
In spring another series of events were organized to help students and families fill out the FAFSA or answer outstanding questions around financial aid. This included two events before inter-school basketball games, that included a free attend the games following the FAFSA event, and a third event for students and families at Park. In total 16 more students were assisted one on one through those events.
As of 2/25/22 274 students at the Academies schools have submitted the FAFSA, compared to 244 at this same time last year.
Written by Kristin Jenders, Career Pathways Manager.