The FAFSA Completion Challenge

"Research demonstrates that access to financial aid clearly influences students’ postsecondary decisions, and completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form significantly increases students’ likelihood of enrolling in a four-year college." (The FAFSA Completion Project: Annotated Bibliography, U.S. Department of Education)

Last year, 41.3% of seniors at GEAR UP schools completed a FAFSA. With your help, we are aiming for 45% of seniors completing a FAFSA in 2013! Already, 35% of GEAR UP seniors have filled one out - about 770 students. (Statistics are from the U.S. Department of Education - you can track your high school here - or ask us and we'll tell you! Keep track of your own school's progress with our FAFSA Challenge Meter.)

We'll be updating our collective stats and send you the latest numbers every month. In the meantime, here are some ways you can help your students and parents with this crucial step towards college attendance and success:

• Host a FAFSA workshop during school hours or in the evening. Helpful presentation power points and worksheets are available as part of our Preparing and Paying for College: Presentations for Parents and Students toolkit.
• Invite a financial aid professional from a local community college or university to present to families or students.
• Online resources:
• 7 Easy Steps to the FAFSA - video tutorial walking through each step
• Who's my FAFSA parent? - quiz to determine an often complicated issue
• NASFAA Resources for Counselors - financial aid night presentation and materials, English-Spanish glossary of financial aid terms, and information for foster/unaccompanied youth applying to college