Educators promote FAFSA completion to make postsecondary education accessible, affordable

Alabama Possible, a statewide nonprofit that breaks down barriers to prosperity, today announced that 51 schools will receive the Best Hustle Award for successfully improving their early Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion by at least 10 percent from 2019 to 2020. Early completion is defined as completion during the first two months of the FAFSA cycle (i.e., October 1 to December 1). Fort Payne High School received this recognition and had improved FAFSA completion by 27.81% when compared with 2019.

All the schools participate in the Alabama Goes to College campaign, which is coordinated by Alabama Possible. Cash for College, a component of the Alabama Goes to College campaign, works with school counselors, career coaches, and other educators at high schools across the state to equip students to continue their education after high school by completing their financial aid form.

More than 350 Alabama high schools participate in Alabama Goes to College campaign. By December 1, 2020, nearly 12,000 Alabama high school seniors had already completed the FAFSA. Despite barriers caused by COVID-19, counselors and students know completing the FAFSA is the gateway to postsecondary financial aid.

“During these unprecedented times, we must not lose sight of the importance of equipping students with tools and resources for a postsecondary pathway,” said Chandra Scott, executive director of Alabama Possible. “We are encouraged by the number of schools that continue to assist their students in early FAFSA completion and we congratulate them on being recipients of the Best Hustle Award.”

Any student seeking federal or state financial aid – including grants, loans, and work-study programs – must complete the FAFSA. Most Alabama students qualify for Pell Grants of up to $6,345 per year. Students can use Pell Grants for two-year and four-year technical and academic programs. If you want to learn more about the FAFSA and Cash for College, visit alabamagoestocollege.org.

Alabama aims to add 500,000 individuals with valuable postsecondary credentials to its workforce by 2025, and Governor Kay Ivey’s Success Plus strategic plan recognizes the critical role that financial aid plays in making education after high school accessible and affordable.

Alabama Goes to College is a partnership of Alabama Possible and the Alabama State Department of Education, with the support of the Alabama Community College System and Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

© Copyright 2021, Times-Journal, Fort Payne, AL

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Fort Payne City Schools win ‘Best Hustle Award’. (2021, January 29). Times-Journal. Retrieved from https://times-journal.com/news/article_afcf1fba-6261-11eb-b588-4bb959d98dc4.html