The has said March 15 will be a turning point for the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, originally dubbed the 鈥�,鈥� which has been plagued with delays and technical snafus.
That鈥檚 the date the department promises to begin releasing students鈥� submitted FAFSA forms to colleges and to complete fixes to glitches preventing applicants with one or more FAFSA 鈥榗ontributors鈥� (parent or guardian) without a Social Security Number from completing the form electronically.
These systemwide delays and glitches have been blamed for plummeting FAFSA submissions, down this year by approximately 57 percent as of January 26, compared to numbers for last year鈥檚 high school seniors at that time, according to the .
The government in February announced efforts to shore up support for its fledging new FAFSA. But these recent initiatives promised new support primarily to college financial aid offices鈥攏ot FAFSA applicants or high school staff helping students navigate the form. As a result, even determined and resource-savvy high school staff members are struggling to help their most vulnerable students complete the form.
Here鈥檚 a look at the resources, both internal and external, that some high schools are relying on to help students navigate the FAFSA, and how a process that was supposed to ease the complexity of applying for financial aid has complicated things for students.
Incentives for FAFSA completion aren鈥檛 easing the process
Connecticut鈥檚 Middletown High School takes FAFSA completion seriously. One way it supports this goal is by participating in the FAFSA Challenge, a statewide campaign to improve rates of completion of the financial aid form.
The Connecticut education department and the governor鈥檚 office launched the in 2019. Schools鈥� eligibility is based on prior school FAFSA completion data, percentages of students receiving free- or reduced-price meals, and senior class size. Participating schools receive support from microgrants of between $1,000 and $15,000 and benefit from other resources, including coaching through the , a nonprofit that partners with high schools in historically marginalized communities to support students鈥� high school and postsecondary success.
The initiative鈥檚 microgrants fund, among other things, FAFSA coaches, who are school employees who work outside regular school hours to support students with FAFSA completion. The money also supports incentives to get students to complete the FAFSA鈥攍ike weekly raffles for items like prom tickets or a free graduation cap and gown. Other states, including Arizona and Florida, also offer programs designed to improve FAFSA completion rates.
This year, 54 of Connecticut鈥檚 55 eligible public schools are participating in the FAFSA Challenge. Last year, the state鈥檚 57 participating improved FAFSA completion rates by nearly seven percentage points over the prior year, from 51.8 percent of seniors in 2022 to 58.7 percent in 2023. But this year is not the same. Obstacles to the 2024-2025 FAFSA threaten to reduce overall completion rates for this year鈥檚 seniors.
鈥淭his year鈥檚 work looks very different,鈥� said Abby Marcantonio, a senior postsecondary success coach with the RISE Network. 鈥淎pplicants are running into so many issues. There鈥檚 been a thousand times more anxiety this year,鈥� she said.
Jennifer Melnik, a college and career school counselor at Connecticut鈥檚 Middletown High School and a past FAFSA coach, agrees. Middletown has participated in the FAFSA Challenge for multiple years, and the school typically averages a 75 percent FAFSA completion rate among its estimated 300 seniors. But when interviewed in February, Melnik said only about 42 percent of the school鈥檚 seniors had completed the form to date. She noted that students whose parent or parents don鈥檛 have a Social Security Number can鈥檛 yet complete the FAFSA electronically.
The mid-March resolution promised by federal officials is also the 鈥渙n-time鈥� deadline for the University of Connecticut鈥檚 FAFSA completion. Funding for financial assistance can run out if students submit their applications after this deadline, said Melnik. As of March 11, the had not extended its FAFSA deadline.
Support from community college finance pros and Latino nonprofit aren鈥檛 enough
In , tuition at two- and four-year public colleges is free to qualified applicants, but students still must complete the FAFSA to qualify. The same applies to additional federal grants that can help with other college costs, such as books, materials, housing, and transportation. And at Aztec High School in Aztec, N.M., FAFSA completion is a graduation requirement.
Most years, an estimated 98 percent of the Aztec High鈥檚 seniors complete the FAFSA, said the school鈥檚 college and career counselor Catherine Olson. But she estimates that only 40 percent of students have met that milestone this year. 鈥淭his year has been extra difficult,鈥� Olson said.
Olson continues to lean on the patchwork of support that she鈥檚 relied on in past years. offers weekly help sessions and works directly with students and parents to navigate the FAFSA. The school also holds several evening events during the school year which brings in financial assistance professionals from the local community college to assist with the FAFSA. Usually, students and parents can sit down with the community college representative and complete the form on site.
This is Olson鈥檚 10th year at the school. Most years, about 90 percent of students who attend the FAFSA workshop evening sessions complete the forms during that time. This year, only about 50 percent of attendees have been able to do so. Olson explained that for students whose parents do not have a Social Security Number, FAFSA completion continues to be a challenge.
鈥淪tudents are coming to me at least weekly,鈥� Olson said. 鈥淭hey ask me: 鈥榃ill my parents be able to fill out the form?鈥欌��
