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FAFSA: What Administrators Need to Know & What They Can Do Now
SchooLinks Staff
October 22, 2024
October 22, 2024
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the primary mechanism for students to access the financial assistance they need to make attending a college, university, community college, and technical education a reality. Within college and career readiness (CCR) circles, the acronym FAFSA is referenced frequently as efforts to encourage students and families to complete the form are central to the core mission of preparing students for life beyond high school.
The FAFSA was created in 1992 as part of the Higher Education Act passed by Congress aimed at providing equal opportunities for students seeking higher education. Overseen by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), the goal of FAFSA has been to provide students and families with a single, standard form and calculation formula to determine all need-based federal financial aid. Since that time, many states, colleges, universities, and other nonprofits have adopted FAFSA as their tool to calculate state- and institution-based aid. Over the course of the past thirty years–and as the cost of college has rapidly increased–completing the FAFSA has become a standard and necessary part of the college application and matriculation process.
Historical Challenges Resulted in a New FAFSA with a Troubled Rollout
Despite its importance, completing FAFSA has proven challenging and cumbersome for many students over the years. Completing the form involves multiple steps whereby students must answer in-depth questions about a family’s financial profile and provide information from tax returns and other documents, all of which necessitates coordination with family members. And since the form went to a digital format in 2012, it has also required internet and computer access for the most straightforward and efficient processing. School counselors and college advisors throughout high schools spend countless hours each year supporting these efforts–educating students and families about the importance of FAFSA, encouraging completion, and providing additional help when needed.
As a response to these systematic hurdles, the USDOE rolled out a new version of the FAFSA last year intended to be more streamlined, straightforward, and accessible for students and families. Despite these good intentions, the implementation and rollout proved fraught with constantly changing and delayed opening dates, substantial technical glitches, insufficient call center support, and an overall turbulent and frustrating process.
School counselors and college advisors faced incredible challenges trying to support students and families through the chaos of last year’s FAFSA cycle. In typical years, counselors have ready-to-use templates for communications and guidance for students and families; they use a standard plan and calendar to provide layers of support; and they, themselves, know the process well enough to quickly troubleshoot issues or connect families with the right resources. None of this was relevant or useful last year. Counselors had to find ways to manage the vacuum of information and constant pivots, while still keeping students and families engaged in the process and ready to complete the form once it was active. They had to learn the new system, themselves, while also trying to teach students as they all encountered glitches and experiences that did not align with the descriptions from the USDOE. And they had to help students feel hopeful, but realistic, about college options, despite these delays and frustrations.
Significant and Negative Impacts
Last year’s tumultuous FAFSA cycle had real and concerning impacts on CCR efforts and outcomes across the country. Many students were unable to complete the FAFSA before college applications were due–and therefore, many higher education institutions were unable to provide students with financial aid packages before college decision deadlines passed. And a substantial number of students simply did not complete the FAFSA last year given the additional barriers they faced. One report estimates that the rollout resulted in an astounding 11% drop in students completing FAFSA nationally from the previous year.
That drop likely correlates with many fewer students enrolling in college or other postsecondary learning opportunities, or choosing a safer, lower-cost option. The students and families most impacted by these trends are disproportionately those living with low income, from underserved communities, or first generation college students. And the impacts cascaded beyond last year’s senior cohort; many younger students and their families observed the negative experiences, sowing seeds of doubt and mistrust in the financial aid process, generally, and the FAFSA form, specifically.
A Need for More Wide-Scale District Support This Year
As a response to last year’s issues, the U.S. Department of Education is making strategic efforts to ensure a smoother and more reliable FAFSA cycle this year. They are rolling out the opening in four phases–each with an increasing size of student participants–in order to iteratively fix issues and glitches before the form is open to the general public on or before December 1st. They have also worked to establish better channels of communication for updates, increase their capacity to provide support to students, families, and counselors as issues arise, and prevent delays in information being transmitted to colleges and universities for timely processing of student financial aid package information.
Even with the improvements from the USDOE, however, this year’s FAFSA cycle will be far from normal–it will include different opening dates, in-process changes, and a need to communicate and support families in a way that rebuilds trust in the process and ensures school staff, students, and families have the most up-to-date information. In order to accomplish this, it is critical that administrators take a more active and intentional approach than is typically needed to support FAFSA completion efforts this year.
Use these tips to help create a systematic approach to FAFSA support for counselors, students, and families in your district this year.
- Create a FAFSA point person or team at the district level: Information from the US DOE continues to be updated about dates, access, and other key guidance. This will continue as they learn information through the different pilot phases of the rollout. Consider having someone at the district level take on staying updated on FAFSA developments, liaising with state officials about the form and state-related uses, and sharing regular updates on a weekly or biweekly basis with college and career counselors so they are able to provide the just-right support and communications with their school communities. This person could also share updates at school board meetings, principal meetings, and with other relevant stakeholder groups.
- Take a more centralized district approach to communication about FAFSA: In most years, individual school counselors manage communicating with students and families about FAFSA and providing the needed support. This year, with continued confusion about the process and to ensure that all students and families receive the most accurate and up-to-date information, it might be helpful for the district to take the lead on communicating with students and families. Districts could extend this communication to begin educating all secondary students and families about FAFSA so they are ready and prepared for senior year.
- Provide district supports for students and families: Given the real-time nature of FAFSA updates and notices, planning support sessions at the school level may be challenging. District administrators might consider arranging webinars, in-person events, and ad hoc sessions to educate students and families and provide support and to supplement the work of school-based counselors. The school district might also create incentives for individual students or school cohorts to complete FAFSA in order to encourage students and families to engage in the process. Doing this at the district level scales the resources and expands the reach of FAFSA promotion.
- Hold FAFSA-specific professional learning and collaboration sessions for school counselors: Rebuilding trust in the FAFSA system for families and counselors is critical this school year; and finding new ways to support students and families through the new system will require counselors, themselves, to learn what has changed and what the overall process involves. Holding sessions for counselors to learn and share best practices, ask questions, and talk through special use cases can be helpful to this overall process.
- Establish a system to track completion: With FAFSA completion rates seeing such a steep drop last year, it is more important than ever that schools and districts have a way to track FAFSA completion in real time. High-quality, sophisticated CCR platforms have this functionality built in. This tracking allows schools and districts to identify trends and respond with appropriate support in a timely manner that will still allow students and families to complete FAFSA in time for the necessary college application deadlines.
District Support Can Be a Game Changer
Because of the significant role FAFSA plays in allowing students to matriculate to the college of their choice, FAFSA completion is an essential component of a district’s college and career readiness (CCR) efforts. FAFSA completion rates should be a metric that schools and districts use to gauge CCR success. And concerns about FAFSA completion and initiatives to support students and families should rise to the district level, especially this year as the FAFSA system undergoes another year of uncertainty with the overhauled process. With district efforts, counselors can work to target the unique needs of their students and families to overcome hurdles to complete the form and develop new systems for communication and guidance to families. With a collaborative approach, more students are likely to see college as a possibility and secure the financial resources to not only start–but finish–their college degree as a step toward a fulfilling and independent future.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the primary mechanism for students to access the financial assistance they need to make attending a college, university, community college, and technical education a reality. Within college and career readiness (CCR) circles, the acronym FAFSA is referenced frequently as efforts to encourage students and families to complete the form are central to the core mission of preparing students for life beyond high school.
The FAFSA was created in 1992 as part of the Higher Education Act passed by Congress aimed at providing equal opportunities for students seeking higher education. Overseen by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), the goal of FAFSA has been to provide students and families with a single, standard form and calculation formula to determine all need-based federal financial aid. Since that time, many states, colleges, universities, and other nonprofits have adopted FAFSA as their tool to calculate state- and institution-based aid. Over the course of the past thirty years–and as the cost of college has rapidly increased–completing the FAFSA has become a standard and necessary part of the college application and matriculation process.
Historical Challenges Resulted in a New FAFSA with a Troubled Rollout
Despite its importance, completing FAFSA has proven challenging and cumbersome for many students over the years. Completing the form involves multiple steps whereby students must answer in-depth questions about a family’s financial profile and provide information from tax returns and other documents, all of which necessitates coordination with family members. And since the form went to a digital format in 2012, it has also required internet and computer access for the most straightforward and efficient processing. School counselors and college advisors throughout high schools spend countless hours each year supporting these efforts–educating students and families about the importance of FAFSA, encouraging completion, and providing additional help when needed.
As a response to these systematic hurdles, the USDOE rolled out a new version of the FAFSA last year intended to be more streamlined, straightforward, and accessible for students and families. Despite these good intentions, the implementation and rollout proved fraught with constantly changing and delayed opening dates, substantial technical glitches, insufficient call center support, and an overall turbulent and frustrating process.
School counselors and college advisors faced incredible challenges trying to support students and families through the chaos of last year’s FAFSA cycle. In typical years, counselors have ready-to-use templates for communications and guidance for students and families; they use a standard plan and calendar to provide layers of support; and they, themselves, know the process well enough to quickly troubleshoot issues or connect families with the right resources. None of this was relevant or useful last year. Counselors had to find ways to manage the vacuum of information and constant pivots, while still keeping students and families engaged in the process and ready to complete the form once it was active. They had to learn the new system, themselves, while also trying to teach students as they all encountered glitches and experiences that did not align with the descriptions from the USDOE. And they had to help students feel hopeful, but realistic, about college options, despite these delays and frustrations.
Significant and Negative Impacts
Last year’s tumultuous FAFSA cycle had real and concerning impacts on CCR efforts and outcomes across the country. Many students were unable to complete the FAFSA before college applications were due–and therefore, many higher education institutions were unable to provide students with financial aid packages before college decision deadlines passed. And a substantial number of students simply did not complete the FAFSA last year given the additional barriers they faced. One report estimates that the rollout resulted in an astounding 11% drop in students completing FAFSA nationally from the previous year.
That drop likely correlates with many fewer students enrolling in college or other postsecondary learning opportunities, or choosing a safer, lower-cost option. The students and families most impacted by these trends are disproportionately those living with low income, from underserved communities, or first generation college students. And the impacts cascaded beyond last year’s senior cohort; many younger students and their families observed the negative experiences, sowing seeds of doubt and mistrust in the financial aid process, generally, and the FAFSA form, specifically.
A Need for More Wide-Scale District Support This Year
As a response to last year’s issues, the U.S. Department of Education is making strategic efforts to ensure a smoother and more reliable FAFSA cycle this year. They are rolling out the opening in four phases–each with an increasing size of student participants–in order to iteratively fix issues and glitches before the form is open to the general public on or before December 1st. They have also worked to establish better channels of communication for updates, increase their capacity to provide support to students, families, and counselors as issues arise, and prevent delays in information being transmitted to colleges and universities for timely processing of student financial aid package information.
Even with the improvements from the USDOE, however, this year’s FAFSA cycle will be far from normal–it will include different opening dates, in-process changes, and a need to communicate and support families in a way that rebuilds trust in the process and ensures school staff, students, and families have the most up-to-date information. In order to accomplish this, it is critical that administrators take a more active and intentional approach than is typically needed to support FAFSA completion efforts this year.
Use these tips to help create a systematic approach to FAFSA support for counselors, students, and families in your district this year.
- Create a FAFSA point person or team at the district level: Information from the US DOE continues to be updated about dates, access, and other key guidance. This will continue as they learn information through the different pilot phases of the rollout. Consider having someone at the district level take on staying updated on FAFSA developments, liaising with state officials about the form and state-related uses, and sharing regular updates on a weekly or biweekly basis with college and career counselors so they are able to provide the just-right support and communications with their school communities. This person could also share updates at school board meetings, principal meetings, and with other relevant stakeholder groups.
- Take a more centralized district approach to communication about FAFSA: In most years, individual school counselors manage communicating with students and families about FAFSA and providing the needed support. This year, with continued confusion about the process and to ensure that all students and families receive the most accurate and up-to-date information, it might be helpful for the district to take the lead on communicating with students and families. Districts could extend this communication to begin educating all secondary students and families about FAFSA so they are ready and prepared for senior year.
- Provide district supports for students and families: Given the real-time nature of FAFSA updates and notices, planning support sessions at the school level may be challenging. District administrators might consider arranging webinars, in-person events, and ad hoc sessions to educate students and families and provide support and to supplement the work of school-based counselors. The school district might also create incentives for individual students or school cohorts to complete FAFSA in order to encourage students and families to engage in the process. Doing this at the district level scales the resources and expands the reach of FAFSA promotion.
- Hold FAFSA-specific professional learning and collaboration sessions for school counselors: Rebuilding trust in the FAFSA system for families and counselors is critical this school year; and finding new ways to support students and families through the new system will require counselors, themselves, to learn what has changed and what the overall process involves. Holding sessions for counselors to learn and share best practices, ask questions, and talk through special use cases can be helpful to this overall process.
- Establish a system to track completion: With FAFSA completion rates seeing such a steep drop last year, it is more important than ever that schools and districts have a way to track FAFSA completion in real time. High-quality, sophisticated CCR platforms have this functionality built in. This tracking allows schools and districts to identify trends and respond with appropriate support in a timely manner that will still allow students and families to complete FAFSA in time for the necessary college application deadlines.
District Support Can Be a Game Changer
Because of the significant role FAFSA plays in allowing students to matriculate to the college of their choice, FAFSA completion is an essential component of a district’s college and career readiness (CCR) efforts. FAFSA completion rates should be a metric that schools and districts use to gauge CCR success. And concerns about FAFSA completion and initiatives to support students and families should rise to the district level, especially this year as the FAFSA system undergoes another year of uncertainty with the overhauled process. With district efforts, counselors can work to target the unique needs of their students and families to overcome hurdles to complete the form and develop new systems for communication and guidance to families. With a collaborative approach, more students are likely to see college as a possibility and secure the financial resources to not only start–but finish–their college degree as a step toward a fulfilling and independent future.
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The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the primary mechanism for students to access the financial assistance they need to make attending a college, university, community college, and technical education a reality. Within college and career readiness (CCR) circles, the acronym FAFSA is referenced frequently as efforts to encourage students and families to complete the form are central to the core mission of preparing students for life beyond high school.
The FAFSA was created in 1992 as part of the Higher Education Act passed by Congress aimed at providing equal opportunities for students seeking higher education. Overseen by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), the goal of FAFSA has been to provide students and families with a single, standard form and calculation formula to determine all need-based federal financial aid. Since that time, many states, colleges, universities, and other nonprofits have adopted FAFSA as their tool to calculate state- and institution-based aid. Over the course of the past thirty years–and as the cost of college has rapidly increased–completing the FAFSA has become a standard and necessary part of the college application and matriculation process.
Historical Challenges Resulted in a New FAFSA with a Troubled Rollout
Despite its importance, completing FAFSA has proven challenging and cumbersome for many students over the years. Completing the form involves multiple steps whereby students must answer in-depth questions about a family’s financial profile and provide information from tax returns and other documents, all of which necessitates coordination with family members. And since the form went to a digital format in 2012, it has also required internet and computer access for the most straightforward and efficient processing. School counselors and college advisors throughout high schools spend countless hours each year supporting these efforts–educating students and families about the importance of FAFSA, encouraging completion, and providing additional help when needed.
As a response to these systematic hurdles, the USDOE rolled out a new version of the FAFSA last year intended to be more streamlined, straightforward, and accessible for students and families. Despite these good intentions, the implementation and rollout proved fraught with constantly changing and delayed opening dates, substantial technical glitches, insufficient call center support, and an overall turbulent and frustrating process.
School counselors and college advisors faced incredible challenges trying to support students and families through the chaos of last year’s FAFSA cycle. In typical years, counselors have ready-to-use templates for communications and guidance for students and families; they use a standard plan and calendar to provide layers of support; and they, themselves, know the process well enough to quickly troubleshoot issues or connect families with the right resources. None of this was relevant or useful last year. Counselors had to find ways to manage the vacuum of information and constant pivots, while still keeping students and families engaged in the process and ready to complete the form once it was active. They had to learn the new system, themselves, while also trying to teach students as they all encountered glitches and experiences that did not align with the descriptions from the USDOE. And they had to help students feel hopeful, but realistic, about college options, despite these delays and frustrations.
Significant and Negative Impacts
Last year’s tumultuous FAFSA cycle had real and concerning impacts on CCR efforts and outcomes across the country. Many students were unable to complete the FAFSA before college applications were due–and therefore, many higher education institutions were unable to provide students with financial aid packages before college decision deadlines passed. And a substantial number of students simply did not complete the FAFSA last year given the additional barriers they faced. One report estimates that the rollout resulted in an astounding 11% drop in students completing FAFSA nationally from the previous year.
That drop likely correlates with many fewer students enrolling in college or other postsecondary learning opportunities, or choosing a safer, lower-cost option. The students and families most impacted by these trends are disproportionately those living with low income, from underserved communities, or first generation college students. And the impacts cascaded beyond last year’s senior cohort; many younger students and their families observed the negative experiences, sowing seeds of doubt and mistrust in the financial aid process, generally, and the FAFSA form, specifically.
A Need for More Wide-Scale District Support This Year
As a response to last year’s issues, the U.S. Department of Education is making strategic efforts to ensure a smoother and more reliable FAFSA cycle this year. They are rolling out the opening in four phases–each with an increasing size of student participants–in order to iteratively fix issues and glitches before the form is open to the general public on or before December 1st. They have also worked to establish better channels of communication for updates, increase their capacity to provide support to students, families, and counselors as issues arise, and prevent delays in information being transmitted to colleges and universities for timely processing of student financial aid package information.
Even with the improvements from the USDOE, however, this year’s FAFSA cycle will be far from normal–it will include different opening dates, in-process changes, and a need to communicate and support families in a way that rebuilds trust in the process and ensures school staff, students, and families have the most up-to-date information. In order to accomplish this, it is critical that administrators take a more active and intentional approach than is typically needed to support FAFSA completion efforts this year.
Use these tips to help create a systematic approach to FAFSA support for counselors, students, and families in your district this year.
- Create a FAFSA point person or team at the district level: Information from the US DOE continues to be updated about dates, access, and other key guidance. This will continue as they learn information through the different pilot phases of the rollout. Consider having someone at the district level take on staying updated on FAFSA developments, liaising with state officials about the form and state-related uses, and sharing regular updates on a weekly or biweekly basis with college and career counselors so they are able to provide the just-right support and communications with their school communities. This person could also share updates at school board meetings, principal meetings, and with other relevant stakeholder groups.
- Take a more centralized district approach to communication about FAFSA: In most years, individual school counselors manage communicating with students and families about FAFSA and providing the needed support. This year, with continued confusion about the process and to ensure that all students and families receive the most accurate and up-to-date information, it might be helpful for the district to take the lead on communicating with students and families. Districts could extend this communication to begin educating all secondary students and families about FAFSA so they are ready and prepared for senior year.
- Provide district supports for students and families: Given the real-time nature of FAFSA updates and notices, planning support sessions at the school level may be challenging. District administrators might consider arranging webinars, in-person events, and ad hoc sessions to educate students and families and provide support and to supplement the work of school-based counselors. The school district might also create incentives for individual students or school cohorts to complete FAFSA in order to encourage students and families to engage in the process. Doing this at the district level scales the resources and expands the reach of FAFSA promotion.
- Hold FAFSA-specific professional learning and collaboration sessions for school counselors: Rebuilding trust in the FAFSA system for families and counselors is critical this school year; and finding new ways to support students and families through the new system will require counselors, themselves, to learn what has changed and what the overall process involves. Holding sessions for counselors to learn and share best practices, ask questions, and talk through special use cases can be helpful to this overall process.
- Establish a system to track completion: With FAFSA completion rates seeing such a steep drop last year, it is more important than ever that schools and districts have a way to track FAFSA completion in real time. High-quality, sophisticated CCR platforms have this functionality built in. This tracking allows schools and districts to identify trends and respond with appropriate support in a timely manner that will still allow students and families to complete FAFSA in time for the necessary college application deadlines.
District Support Can Be a Game Changer
Because of the significant role FAFSA plays in allowing students to matriculate to the college of their choice, FAFSA completion is an essential component of a district’s college and career readiness (CCR) efforts. FAFSA completion rates should be a metric that schools and districts use to gauge CCR success. And concerns about FAFSA completion and initiatives to support students and families should rise to the district level, especially this year as the FAFSA system undergoes another year of uncertainty with the overhauled process. With district efforts, counselors can work to target the unique needs of their students and families to overcome hurdles to complete the form and develop new systems for communication and guidance to families. With a collaborative approach, more students are likely to see college as a possibility and secure the financial resources to not only start–but finish–their college degree as a step toward a fulfilling and independent future.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the primary mechanism for students to access the financial assistance they need to make attending a college, university, community college, and technical education a reality. Within college and career readiness (CCR) circles, the acronym FAFSA is referenced frequently as efforts to encourage students and families to complete the form are central to the core mission of preparing students for life beyond high school.
The FAFSA was created in 1992 as part of the Higher Education Act passed by Congress aimed at providing equal opportunities for students seeking higher education. Overseen by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), the goal of FAFSA has been to provide students and families with a single, standard form and calculation formula to determine all need-based federal financial aid. Since that time, many states, colleges, universities, and other nonprofits have adopted FAFSA as their tool to calculate state- and institution-based aid. Over the course of the past thirty years–and as the cost of college has rapidly increased–completing the FAFSA has become a standard and necessary part of the college application and matriculation process.
Historical Challenges Resulted in a New FAFSA with a Troubled Rollout
Despite its importance, completing FAFSA has proven challenging and cumbersome for many students over the years. Completing the form involves multiple steps whereby students must answer in-depth questions about a family’s financial profile and provide information from tax returns and other documents, all of which necessitates coordination with family members. And since the form went to a digital format in 2012, it has also required internet and computer access for the most straightforward and efficient processing. School counselors and college advisors throughout high schools spend countless hours each year supporting these efforts–educating students and families about the importance of FAFSA, encouraging completion, and providing additional help when needed.
As a response to these systematic hurdles, the USDOE rolled out a new version of the FAFSA last year intended to be more streamlined, straightforward, and accessible for students and families. Despite these good intentions, the implementation and rollout proved fraught with constantly changing and delayed opening dates, substantial technical glitches, insufficient call center support, and an overall turbulent and frustrating process.
School counselors and college advisors faced incredible challenges trying to support students and families through the chaos of last year’s FAFSA cycle. In typical years, counselors have ready-to-use templates for communications and guidance for students and families; they use a standard plan and calendar to provide layers of support; and they, themselves, know the process well enough to quickly troubleshoot issues or connect families with the right resources. None of this was relevant or useful last year. Counselors had to find ways to manage the vacuum of information and constant pivots, while still keeping students and families engaged in the process and ready to complete the form once it was active. They had to learn the new system, themselves, while also trying to teach students as they all encountered glitches and experiences that did not align with the descriptions from the USDOE. And they had to help students feel hopeful, but realistic, about college options, despite these delays and frustrations.
Significant and Negative Impacts
Last year’s tumultuous FAFSA cycle had real and concerning impacts on CCR efforts and outcomes across the country. Many students were unable to complete the FAFSA before college applications were due–and therefore, many higher education institutions were unable to provide students with financial aid packages before college decision deadlines passed. And a substantial number of students simply did not complete the FAFSA last year given the additional barriers they faced. One report estimates that the rollout resulted in an astounding 11% drop in students completing FAFSA nationally from the previous year.
That drop likely correlates with many fewer students enrolling in college or other postsecondary learning opportunities, or choosing a safer, lower-cost option. The students and families most impacted by these trends are disproportionately those living with low income, from underserved communities, or first generation college students. And the impacts cascaded beyond last year’s senior cohort; many younger students and their families observed the negative experiences, sowing seeds of doubt and mistrust in the financial aid process, generally, and the FAFSA form, specifically.
A Need for More Wide-Scale District Support This Year
As a response to last year’s issues, the U.S. Department of Education is making strategic efforts to ensure a smoother and more reliable FAFSA cycle this year. They are rolling out the opening in four phases–each with an increasing size of student participants–in order to iteratively fix issues and glitches before the form is open to the general public on or before December 1st. They have also worked to establish better channels of communication for updates, increase their capacity to provide support to students, families, and counselors as issues arise, and prevent delays in information being transmitted to colleges and universities for timely processing of student financial aid package information.
Even with the improvements from the USDOE, however, this year’s FAFSA cycle will be far from normal–it will include different opening dates, in-process changes, and a need to communicate and support families in a way that rebuilds trust in the process and ensures school staff, students, and families have the most up-to-date information. In order to accomplish this, it is critical that administrators take a more active and intentional approach than is typically needed to support FAFSA completion efforts this year.
Use these tips to help create a systematic approach to FAFSA support for counselors, students, and families in your district this year.
- Create a FAFSA point person or team at the district level: Information from the US DOE continues to be updated about dates, access, and other key guidance. This will continue as they learn information through the different pilot phases of the rollout. Consider having someone at the district level take on staying updated on FAFSA developments, liaising with state officials about the form and state-related uses, and sharing regular updates on a weekly or biweekly basis with college and career counselors so they are able to provide the just-right support and communications with their school communities. This person could also share updates at school board meetings, principal meetings, and with other relevant stakeholder groups.
- Take a more centralized district approach to communication about FAFSA: In most years, individual school counselors manage communicating with students and families about FAFSA and providing the needed support. This year, with continued confusion about the process and to ensure that all students and families receive the most accurate and up-to-date information, it might be helpful for the district to take the lead on communicating with students and families. Districts could extend this communication to begin educating all secondary students and families about FAFSA so they are ready and prepared for senior year.
- Provide district supports for students and families: Given the real-time nature of FAFSA updates and notices, planning support sessions at the school level may be challenging. District administrators might consider arranging webinars, in-person events, and ad hoc sessions to educate students and families and provide support and to supplement the work of school-based counselors. The school district might also create incentives for individual students or school cohorts to complete FAFSA in order to encourage students and families to engage in the process. Doing this at the district level scales the resources and expands the reach of FAFSA promotion.
- Hold FAFSA-specific professional learning and collaboration sessions for school counselors: Rebuilding trust in the FAFSA system for families and counselors is critical this school year; and finding new ways to support students and families through the new system will require counselors, themselves, to learn what has changed and what the overall process involves. Holding sessions for counselors to learn and share best practices, ask questions, and talk through special use cases can be helpful to this overall process.
- Establish a system to track completion: With FAFSA completion rates seeing such a steep drop last year, it is more important than ever that schools and districts have a way to track FAFSA completion in real time. High-quality, sophisticated CCR platforms have this functionality built in. This tracking allows schools and districts to identify trends and respond with appropriate support in a timely manner that will still allow students and families to complete FAFSA in time for the necessary college application deadlines.
District Support Can Be a Game Changer
Because of the significant role FAFSA plays in allowing students to matriculate to the college of their choice, FAFSA completion is an essential component of a district’s college and career readiness (CCR) efforts. FAFSA completion rates should be a metric that schools and districts use to gauge CCR success. And concerns about FAFSA completion and initiatives to support students and families should rise to the district level, especially this year as the FAFSA system undergoes another year of uncertainty with the overhauled process. With district efforts, counselors can work to target the unique needs of their students and families to overcome hurdles to complete the form and develop new systems for communication and guidance to families. With a collaborative approach, more students are likely to see college as a possibility and secure the financial resources to not only start–but finish–their college degree as a step toward a fulfilling and independent future.
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The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the primary mechanism for students to access the financial assistance they need to make attending a college, university, community college, and technical education a reality. Within college and career readiness (CCR) circles, the acronym FAFSA is referenced frequently as efforts to encourage students and families to complete the form are central to the core mission of preparing students for life beyond high school.
The FAFSA was created in 1992 as part of the Higher Education Act passed by Congress aimed at providing equal opportunities for students seeking higher education. Overseen by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), the goal of FAFSA has been to provide students and families with a single, standard form and calculation formula to determine all need-based federal financial aid. Since that time, many states, colleges, universities, and other nonprofits have adopted FAFSA as their tool to calculate state- and institution-based aid. Over the course of the past thirty years–and as the cost of college has rapidly increased–completing the FAFSA has become a standard and necessary part of the college application and matriculation process.
Historical Challenges Resulted in a New FAFSA with a Troubled Rollout
Despite its importance, completing FAFSA has proven challenging and cumbersome for many students over the years. Completing the form involves multiple steps whereby students must answer in-depth questions about a family’s financial profile and provide information from tax returns and other documents, all of which necessitates coordination with family members. And since the form went to a digital format in 2012, it has also required internet and computer access for the most straightforward and efficient processing. School counselors and college advisors throughout high schools spend countless hours each year supporting these efforts–educating students and families about the importance of FAFSA, encouraging completion, and providing additional help when needed.
As a response to these systematic hurdles, the USDOE rolled out a new version of the FAFSA last year intended to be more streamlined, straightforward, and accessible for students and families. Despite these good intentions, the implementation and rollout proved fraught with constantly changing and delayed opening dates, substantial technical glitches, insufficient call center support, and an overall turbulent and frustrating process.
School counselors and college advisors faced incredible challenges trying to support students and families through the chaos of last year’s FAFSA cycle. In typical years, counselors have ready-to-use templates for communications and guidance for students and families; they use a standard plan and calendar to provide layers of support; and they, themselves, know the process well enough to quickly troubleshoot issues or connect families with the right resources. None of this was relevant or useful last year. Counselors had to find ways to manage the vacuum of information and constant pivots, while still keeping students and families engaged in the process and ready to complete the form once it was active. They had to learn the new system, themselves, while also trying to teach students as they all encountered glitches and experiences that did not align with the descriptions from the USDOE. And they had to help students feel hopeful, but realistic, about college options, despite these delays and frustrations.
Significant and Negative Impacts
Last year’s tumultuous FAFSA cycle had real and concerning impacts on CCR efforts and outcomes across the country. Many students were unable to complete the FAFSA before college applications were due–and therefore, many higher education institutions were unable to provide students with financial aid packages before college decision deadlines passed. And a substantial number of students simply did not complete the FAFSA last year given the additional barriers they faced. One report estimates that the rollout resulted in an astounding 11% drop in students completing FAFSA nationally from the previous year.
That drop likely correlates with many fewer students enrolling in college or other postsecondary learning opportunities, or choosing a safer, lower-cost option. The students and families most impacted by these trends are disproportionately those living with low income, from underserved communities, or first generation college students. And the impacts cascaded beyond last year’s senior cohort; many younger students and their families observed the negative experiences, sowing seeds of doubt and mistrust in the financial aid process, generally, and the FAFSA form, specifically.
A Need for More Wide-Scale District Support This Year
As a response to last year’s issues, the U.S. Department of Education is making strategic efforts to ensure a smoother and more reliable FAFSA cycle this year. They are rolling out the opening in four phases–each with an increasing size of student participants–in order to iteratively fix issues and glitches before the form is open to the general public on or before December 1st. They have also worked to establish better channels of communication for updates, increase their capacity to provide support to students, families, and counselors as issues arise, and prevent delays in information being transmitted to colleges and universities for timely processing of student financial aid package information.
Even with the improvements from the USDOE, however, this year’s FAFSA cycle will be far from normal–it will include different opening dates, in-process changes, and a need to communicate and support families in a way that rebuilds trust in the process and ensures school staff, students, and families have the most up-to-date information. In order to accomplish this, it is critical that administrators take a more active and intentional approach than is typically needed to support FAFSA completion efforts this year.
Use these tips to help create a systematic approach to FAFSA support for counselors, students, and families in your district this year.
- Create a FAFSA point person or team at the district level: Information from the US DOE continues to be updated about dates, access, and other key guidance. This will continue as they learn information through the different pilot phases of the rollout. Consider having someone at the district level take on staying updated on FAFSA developments, liaising with state officials about the form and state-related uses, and sharing regular updates on a weekly or biweekly basis with college and career counselors so they are able to provide the just-right support and communications with their school communities. This person could also share updates at school board meetings, principal meetings, and with other relevant stakeholder groups.
- Take a more centralized district approach to communication about FAFSA: In most years, individual school counselors manage communicating with students and families about FAFSA and providing the needed support. This year, with continued confusion about the process and to ensure that all students and families receive the most accurate and up-to-date information, it might be helpful for the district to take the lead on communicating with students and families. Districts could extend this communication to begin educating all secondary students and families about FAFSA so they are ready and prepared for senior year.
- Provide district supports for students and families: Given the real-time nature of FAFSA updates and notices, planning support sessions at the school level may be challenging. District administrators might consider arranging webinars, in-person events, and ad hoc sessions to educate students and families and provide support and to supplement the work of school-based counselors. The school district might also create incentives for individual students or school cohorts to complete FAFSA in order to encourage students and families to engage in the process. Doing this at the district level scales the resources and expands the reach of FAFSA promotion.
- Hold FAFSA-specific professional learning and collaboration sessions for school counselors: Rebuilding trust in the FAFSA system for families and counselors is critical this school year; and finding new ways to support students and families through the new system will require counselors, themselves, to learn what has changed and what the overall process involves. Holding sessions for counselors to learn and share best practices, ask questions, and talk through special use cases can be helpful to this overall process.
- Establish a system to track completion: With FAFSA completion rates seeing such a steep drop last year, it is more important than ever that schools and districts have a way to track FAFSA completion in real time. High-quality, sophisticated CCR platforms have this functionality built in. This tracking allows schools and districts to identify trends and respond with appropriate support in a timely manner that will still allow students and families to complete FAFSA in time for the necessary college application deadlines.
District Support Can Be a Game Changer
Because of the significant role FAFSA plays in allowing students to matriculate to the college of their choice, FAFSA completion is an essential component of a district’s college and career readiness (CCR) efforts. FAFSA completion rates should be a metric that schools and districts use to gauge CCR success. And concerns about FAFSA completion and initiatives to support students and families should rise to the district level, especially this year as the FAFSA system undergoes another year of uncertainty with the overhauled process. With district efforts, counselors can work to target the unique needs of their students and families to overcome hurdles to complete the form and develop new systems for communication and guidance to families. With a collaborative approach, more students are likely to see college as a possibility and secure the financial resources to not only start–but finish–their college degree as a step toward a fulfilling and independent future.
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The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the primary mechanism for students to access the financial assistance they need to make attending a college, university, community college, and technical education a reality. Within college and career readiness (CCR) circles, the acronym FAFSA is referenced frequently as efforts to encourage students and families to complete the form are central to the core mission of preparing students for life beyond high school.
The FAFSA was created in 1992 as part of the Higher Education Act passed by Congress aimed at providing equal opportunities for students seeking higher education. Overseen by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), the goal of FAFSA has been to provide students and families with a single, standard form and calculation formula to determine all need-based federal financial aid. Since that time, many states, colleges, universities, and other nonprofits have adopted FAFSA as their tool to calculate state- and institution-based aid. Over the course of the past thirty years–and as the cost of college has rapidly increased–completing the FAFSA has become a standard and necessary part of the college application and matriculation process.
Historical Challenges Resulted in a New FAFSA with a Troubled Rollout
Despite its importance, completing FAFSA has proven challenging and cumbersome for many students over the years. Completing the form involves multiple steps whereby students must answer in-depth questions about a family’s financial profile and provide information from tax returns and other documents, all of which necessitates coordination with family members. And since the form went to a digital format in 2012, it has also required internet and computer access for the most straightforward and efficient processing. School counselors and college advisors throughout high schools spend countless hours each year supporting these efforts–educating students and families about the importance of FAFSA, encouraging completion, and providing additional help when needed.
As a response to these systematic hurdles, the USDOE rolled out a new version of the FAFSA last year intended to be more streamlined, straightforward, and accessible for students and families. Despite these good intentions, the implementation and rollout proved fraught with constantly changing and delayed opening dates, substantial technical glitches, insufficient call center support, and an overall turbulent and frustrating process.
School counselors and college advisors faced incredible challenges trying to support students and families through the chaos of last year’s FAFSA cycle. In typical years, counselors have ready-to-use templates for communications and guidance for students and families; they use a standard plan and calendar to provide layers of support; and they, themselves, know the process well enough to quickly troubleshoot issues or connect families with the right resources. None of this was relevant or useful last year. Counselors had to find ways to manage the vacuum of information and constant pivots, while still keeping students and families engaged in the process and ready to complete the form once it was active. They had to learn the new system, themselves, while also trying to teach students as they all encountered glitches and experiences that did not align with the descriptions from the USDOE. And they had to help students feel hopeful, but realistic, about college options, despite these delays and frustrations.
Significant and Negative Impacts
Last year’s tumultuous FAFSA cycle had real and concerning impacts on CCR efforts and outcomes across the country. Many students were unable to complete the FAFSA before college applications were due–and therefore, many higher education institutions were unable to provide students with financial aid packages before college decision deadlines passed. And a substantial number of students simply did not complete the FAFSA last year given the additional barriers they faced. One report estimates that the rollout resulted in an astounding 11% drop in students completing FAFSA nationally from the previous year.
That drop likely correlates with many fewer students enrolling in college or other postsecondary learning opportunities, or choosing a safer, lower-cost option. The students and families most impacted by these trends are disproportionately those living with low income, from underserved communities, or first generation college students. And the impacts cascaded beyond last year’s senior cohort; many younger students and their families observed the negative experiences, sowing seeds of doubt and mistrust in the financial aid process, generally, and the FAFSA form, specifically.
A Need for More Wide-Scale District Support This Year
As a response to last year’s issues, the U.S. Department of Education is making strategic efforts to ensure a smoother and more reliable FAFSA cycle this year. They are rolling out the opening in four phases–each with an increasing size of student participants–in order to iteratively fix issues and glitches before the form is open to the general public on or before December 1st. They have also worked to establish better channels of communication for updates, increase their capacity to provide support to students, families, and counselors as issues arise, and prevent delays in information being transmitted to colleges and universities for timely processing of student financial aid package information.
Even with the improvements from the USDOE, however, this year’s FAFSA cycle will be far from normal–it will include different opening dates, in-process changes, and a need to communicate and support families in a way that rebuilds trust in the process and ensures school staff, students, and families have the most up-to-date information. In order to accomplish this, it is critical that administrators take a more active and intentional approach than is typically needed to support FAFSA completion efforts this year.
Use these tips to help create a systematic approach to FAFSA support for counselors, students, and families in your district this year.
- Create a FAFSA point person or team at the district level: Information from the US DOE continues to be updated about dates, access, and other key guidance. This will continue as they learn information through the different pilot phases of the rollout. Consider having someone at the district level take on staying updated on FAFSA developments, liaising with state officials about the form and state-related uses, and sharing regular updates on a weekly or biweekly basis with college and career counselors so they are able to provide the just-right support and communications with their school communities. This person could also share updates at school board meetings, principal meetings, and with other relevant stakeholder groups.
- Take a more centralized district approach to communication about FAFSA: In most years, individual school counselors manage communicating with students and families about FAFSA and providing the needed support. This year, with continued confusion about the process and to ensure that all students and families receive the most accurate and up-to-date information, it might be helpful for the district to take the lead on communicating with students and families. Districts could extend this communication to begin educating all secondary students and families about FAFSA so they are ready and prepared for senior year.
- Provide district supports for students and families: Given the real-time nature of FAFSA updates and notices, planning support sessions at the school level may be challenging. District administrators might consider arranging webinars, in-person events, and ad hoc sessions to educate students and families and provide support and to supplement the work of school-based counselors. The school district might also create incentives for individual students or school cohorts to complete FAFSA in order to encourage students and families to engage in the process. Doing this at the district level scales the resources and expands the reach of FAFSA promotion.
- Hold FAFSA-specific professional learning and collaboration sessions for school counselors: Rebuilding trust in the FAFSA system for families and counselors is critical this school year; and finding new ways to support students and families through the new system will require counselors, themselves, to learn what has changed and what the overall process involves. Holding sessions for counselors to learn and share best practices, ask questions, and talk through special use cases can be helpful to this overall process.
- Establish a system to track completion: With FAFSA completion rates seeing such a steep drop last year, it is more important than ever that schools and districts have a way to track FAFSA completion in real time. High-quality, sophisticated CCR platforms have this functionality built in. This tracking allows schools and districts to identify trends and respond with appropriate support in a timely manner that will still allow students and families to complete FAFSA in time for the necessary college application deadlines.
District Support Can Be a Game Changer
Because of the significant role FAFSA plays in allowing students to matriculate to the college of their choice, FAFSA completion is an essential component of a district’s college and career readiness (CCR) efforts. FAFSA completion rates should be a metric that schools and districts use to gauge CCR success. And concerns about FAFSA completion and initiatives to support students and families should rise to the district level, especially this year as the FAFSA system undergoes another year of uncertainty with the overhauled process. With district efforts, counselors can work to target the unique needs of their students and families to overcome hurdles to complete the form and develop new systems for communication and guidance to families. With a collaborative approach, more students are likely to see college as a possibility and secure the financial resources to not only start–but finish–their college degree as a step toward a fulfilling and independent future.
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The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the primary mechanism for students to access the financial assistance they need to make attending a college, university, community college, and technical education a reality. Within college and career readiness (CCR) circles, the acronym FAFSA is referenced frequently as efforts to encourage students and families to complete the form are central to the core mission of preparing students for life beyond high school.
The FAFSA was created in 1992 as part of the Higher Education Act passed by Congress aimed at providing equal opportunities for students seeking higher education. Overseen by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), the goal of FAFSA has been to provide students and families with a single, standard form and calculation formula to determine all need-based federal financial aid. Since that time, many states, colleges, universities, and other nonprofits have adopted FAFSA as their tool to calculate state- and institution-based aid. Over the course of the past thirty years–and as the cost of college has rapidly increased–completing the FAFSA has become a standard and necessary part of the college application and matriculation process.
Historical Challenges Resulted in a New FAFSA with a Troubled Rollout
Despite its importance, completing FAFSA has proven challenging and cumbersome for many students over the years. Completing the form involves multiple steps whereby students must answer in-depth questions about a family’s financial profile and provide information from tax returns and other documents, all of which necessitates coordination with family members. And since the form went to a digital format in 2012, it has also required internet and computer access for the most straightforward and efficient processing. School counselors and college advisors throughout high schools spend countless hours each year supporting these efforts–educating students and families about the importance of FAFSA, encouraging completion, and providing additional help when needed.
As a response to these systematic hurdles, the USDOE rolled out a new version of the FAFSA last year intended to be more streamlined, straightforward, and accessible for students and families. Despite these good intentions, the implementation and rollout proved fraught with constantly changing and delayed opening dates, substantial technical glitches, insufficient call center support, and an overall turbulent and frustrating process.
School counselors and college advisors faced incredible challenges trying to support students and families through the chaos of last year’s FAFSA cycle. In typical years, counselors have ready-to-use templates for communications and guidance for students and families; they use a standard plan and calendar to provide layers of support; and they, themselves, know the process well enough to quickly troubleshoot issues or connect families with the right resources. None of this was relevant or useful last year. Counselors had to find ways to manage the vacuum of information and constant pivots, while still keeping students and families engaged in the process and ready to complete the form once it was active. They had to learn the new system, themselves, while also trying to teach students as they all encountered glitches and experiences that did not align with the descriptions from the USDOE. And they had to help students feel hopeful, but realistic, about college options, despite these delays and frustrations.
Significant and Negative Impacts
Last year’s tumultuous FAFSA cycle had real and concerning impacts on CCR efforts and outcomes across the country. Many students were unable to complete the FAFSA before college applications were due–and therefore, many higher education institutions were unable to provide students with financial aid packages before college decision deadlines passed. And a substantial number of students simply did not complete the FAFSA last year given the additional barriers they faced. One report estimates that the rollout resulted in an astounding 11% drop in students completing FAFSA nationally from the previous year.
That drop likely correlates with many fewer students enrolling in college or other postsecondary learning opportunities, or choosing a safer, lower-cost option. The students and families most impacted by these trends are disproportionately those living with low income, from underserved communities, or first generation college students. And the impacts cascaded beyond last year’s senior cohort; many younger students and their families observed the negative experiences, sowing seeds of doubt and mistrust in the financial aid process, generally, and the FAFSA form, specifically.
A Need for More Wide-Scale District Support This Year
As a response to last year’s issues, the U.S. Department of Education is making strategic efforts to ensure a smoother and more reliable FAFSA cycle this year. They are rolling out the opening in four phases–each with an increasing size of student participants–in order to iteratively fix issues and glitches before the form is open to the general public on or before December 1st. They have also worked to establish better channels of communication for updates, increase their capacity to provide support to students, families, and counselors as issues arise, and prevent delays in information being transmitted to colleges and universities for timely processing of student financial aid package information.
Even with the improvements from the USDOE, however, this year’s FAFSA cycle will be far from normal–it will include different opening dates, in-process changes, and a need to communicate and support families in a way that rebuilds trust in the process and ensures school staff, students, and families have the most up-to-date information. In order to accomplish this, it is critical that administrators take a more active and intentional approach than is typically needed to support FAFSA completion efforts this year.
Use these tips to help create a systematic approach to FAFSA support for counselors, students, and families in your district this year.
- Create a FAFSA point person or team at the district level: Information from the US DOE continues to be updated about dates, access, and other key guidance. This will continue as they learn information through the different pilot phases of the rollout. Consider having someone at the district level take on staying updated on FAFSA developments, liaising with state officials about the form and state-related uses, and sharing regular updates on a weekly or biweekly basis with college and career counselors so they are able to provide the just-right support and communications with their school communities. This person could also share updates at school board meetings, principal meetings, and with other relevant stakeholder groups.
- Take a more centralized district approach to communication about FAFSA: In most years, individual school counselors manage communicating with students and families about FAFSA and providing the needed support. This year, with continued confusion about the process and to ensure that all students and families receive the most accurate and up-to-date information, it might be helpful for the district to take the lead on communicating with students and families. Districts could extend this communication to begin educating all secondary students and families about FAFSA so they are ready and prepared for senior year.
- Provide district supports for students and families: Given the real-time nature of FAFSA updates and notices, planning support sessions at the school level may be challenging. District administrators might consider arranging webinars, in-person events, and ad hoc sessions to educate students and families and provide support and to supplement the work of school-based counselors. The school district might also create incentives for individual students or school cohorts to complete FAFSA in order to encourage students and families to engage in the process. Doing this at the district level scales the resources and expands the reach of FAFSA promotion.
- Hold FAFSA-specific professional learning and collaboration sessions for school counselors: Rebuilding trust in the FAFSA system for families and counselors is critical this school year; and finding new ways to support students and families through the new system will require counselors, themselves, to learn what has changed and what the overall process involves. Holding sessions for counselors to learn and share best practices, ask questions, and talk through special use cases can be helpful to this overall process.
- Establish a system to track completion: With FAFSA completion rates seeing such a steep drop last year, it is more important than ever that schools and districts have a way to track FAFSA completion in real time. High-quality, sophisticated CCR platforms have this functionality built in. This tracking allows schools and districts to identify trends and respond with appropriate support in a timely manner that will still allow students and families to complete FAFSA in time for the necessary college application deadlines.
District Support Can Be a Game Changer
Because of the significant role FAFSA plays in allowing students to matriculate to the college of their choice, FAFSA completion is an essential component of a district’s college and career readiness (CCR) efforts. FAFSA completion rates should be a metric that schools and districts use to gauge CCR success. And concerns about FAFSA completion and initiatives to support students and families should rise to the district level, especially this year as the FAFSA system undergoes another year of uncertainty with the overhauled process. With district efforts, counselors can work to target the unique needs of their students and families to overcome hurdles to complete the form and develop new systems for communication and guidance to families. With a collaborative approach, more students are likely to see college as a possibility and secure the financial resources to not only start–but finish–their college degree as a step toward a fulfilling and independent future.
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