PHOENIX — The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) is offering funding to Arizona high schools where at least 50% of eligible students complete a federal form that determines how much financial aid they can get from the government.
This initiative, known as the “50 by Fall” campaign, was recently launched and encourages students across the state to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which helps determine their eligibility for financial assistance in post-secondary education.
The form is used to assess whether college students qualify for federal aid, including loans and grants. Most colleges require students to submit the FAFSA annually.
Why is filling out the FAFSA important?
Arizona lags behind other states when it comes to filling out the form, according to ABOR Director of FAFSA and College Access Initiatives Julie Sainz.
This comes at a literal cost: Arizona high school seniors miss out on more than $100 million in federal Pell Grants every year.
Sainz said the 50 by Fall program is beneficial for both students and schools.
“It’s really so that students have opportunities to know what they can utilize to pay for their education beyond high school,” Sainz told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “For high schools, it really means knowing that their students are college-ready.”
Students who complete the FAFSA form are 84% more likely to attend a post-secondary institution, according to data from the National College Attainment Network. Plus, the applications are used in trade schools and certificate programs.
Completing it is also part of joining the Arizona Promise Program, which covers all tuition and fees for eligible students if they go to Arizona State University, the University of Arizona or Northern Arizona University.
Arizona high schools incentivized to make more kids complete FAFSA forms
Gov. Katie Hobbs is also involved in the campaign, according to ABOR Director of FAFSA and College Access Initiatives Julie Sainz.
“The governor has been very gracious to co-sign a letter with our chair here at the board inviting schools, specifically Title 1 schools and schools with historically low FAFSA completion rates, to join this 50 by Fall campaign and pledge,” Sainz told KTAR News 92.3 FM.
Schools that meet the 50% FAFSA completion threshold will receive between $1,000 and $4,500, depending on class size. Title 1 schools are eligible for an additional $500.
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
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