Getting more students to complete the FAFSA is a crucial step in expanding college access and a new online tool makes it easier than ever for states and communities to monitor their progress.
The #FormYourFuture FAFSA Tracker, launched on Monday, tracks and ranks states’ progress toward getting 100 percent of their high school seniors to file for federal financial aid.
The interactive online dashboard, which is updated weekly, also includes city-specific data.
Users can chart their week-by-week progress, see how their community compares to other states and cities, and even check how this year’s completion rates stack up against data from last year. Continue reading Now Available: #FormYourFuture FAFSA Tracker→
Will the FAFSA’s earlier filing date result in increased access to higher education?
New federal data is promising.
After a four-year decline, FAFSA completions are up for the high school class of 2017, the first cohort of students who were able to file for aid starting on Oct. 1 — a full three months earlier than previously allowed.
Educators, advocates, Hill staffers, and students gathered in Washington, DC, earlier this month to learn more about efforts by the National College Access Network (NCAN) to simplify the Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA).
For example, on one track, once a student has confirmed that their family earns a means-tested benefit such as SNAP (food assistance) or TANF (cash assistance), they are automatically sent to the signature portion of the form.
Getting more students to complete the FAFSA is a crucial step in expanding college access and a new online tool makes it easier than ever for states and communities to monitor their progress.
