40 High Schools Will Participate in FAFSA Challenge to Boost College Opportunities for Graduating Students

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In a twist on the old saying you can’t win if you don’t play, state officials are stepping up efforts to qualify more Connecticut high school students for the financial assistance that may be the difference between attending college or not.

In an initiative designed to increase Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates, improve postsecondary access, and close opportunity gaps among high school students, 40 Connecticut high schools from 19 districts across the state will be participating in the 2021-22 Connecticut FAFSA Challenge.

The announcement of the program’s expansion in its second year was made by Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker.  Participating schools will pilot innovative strategies to help students and families complete the FAFSA and access resources to support college affordability, the officials pointed out.

More than 70% of Connecticut jobs require some form of education beyond a high school diploma, and FAFSA completion is one of the best predictors of whether seniors will pursue higher education, according to officials. It takes, on average, less than an hour to complete the FAFSA, however the form can be confusing and 45% of seniors in the Class of 2021 did not complete it, leaving millions of unclaimed dollars in college aid, education officials noted.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form students need to fill out to get any financial aid from the federal government to help pay for college. Each year, over 13 million students nationwide who file the FAFSA get more than $120 billion in grants, work-study, and low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Education.

“I’m proud to see these schools prioritizing FAFSA completion through the FAFSA Challenge and working to increase the number of students who can access financial aid for college and career school,” Governor Lamont said. “It’s a terrific demonstration of how Connecticut is using federal relief dollars to spark new thinking in our schools and support students achieve critical postsecondary milestones.”

“We are thrilled to continue the FAFSA Challenge this year,” Commissioner Russell-Tucker said. “Last year, we saw school communities come together in new and exciting ways to help students and families complete the FAFSA and access crucial resources to pursue their college and career goals. We look forward to continuing the momentum this year with our new cohort of schools.”

Building on the success of the first year of the FAFSA Challenge in 2020-21, the number of schools participating in this year’s FAFSA Challenge has increased, with an additional 14 schools accepting the challenge to boost FAFSA completion rates by at least 5 percentage points by next June. Last year, schools participating in the FAFSA Challenge collectively increased their completion rates by nearly 4 percentage points, while the country’s FAFSA completion rates declined by more than 4% relative to 2020.

Through the FAFSA Challenge, schools will receive microgrants to pursue strategies to build awareness around the FAFSA and support families in completing the application. The FAFSA is critically important in making higher education more attainable for all students, officials emphasized, particularly historically marginalized populations.

FAFSA Challenge high schools will benefit from new resources to support FAFSA completion efforts in their communities. The state is again partnering with the Connecticut RISE Network, a local nonprofit organization, to facilitate a community of practice for schools participating in the FAFSA Challenge. School teams will come together on a monthly basis to review data, share promising practices, and engage in collaborative problem-solving. Schools will use EdSight FAFSA dashboards to track student progress and target support for families.

“Every year, we see that FAFSA completion has the power to transform lives,” Emily Pallin, executive director of the RISE Network, said. “By completing the FAFSA, students and families can access the resources they deserve to pursue their dreams of higher education. However, we also know the FAFSA can be daunting and too many students do not complete this key access milestone. By working together as a statewide community, we are excited to once again improve FAFSA completion rates, share promising practices, and close access and opportunity gaps for all Connecticut students.”

This year, the Connecticut State Department of Education and RISE Network are partnering with the nonprofit organization uAspire to offer a series of free and virtual training sessions on the FAFSA for Connecticut educators and partners. These trainings will be available to all high schools, and details on training dates and registration will be made available in the coming weeks.

The state is also continuing its partnership with CTCollegeBound to offer a free FAFSACT.org portal where students and families can enroll in virtual sessions with financial aid experts to receive personalized support and guidance in completing the FAFSA.

The high schools participating in the 2021-22 Connecticut FAFSA Challenge include:

  • Ansonia School District, Ansonia High School

  • Bridgeport School District, Bridgeport Military Academy

  • Bridgeport School District, Bassick High School

  • Bridgeport School District, Central High School

  • Bridgeport School District, Warren Harding High School

  • Bristol School District, Bristol Eastern High School

  • Capitol Region Education Council, Civic Leadership High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, A.I. Prince Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Bullard-Havens Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, E. C. Goodwin Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Eli Whitney Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Emmett O'Brien Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, H. C. Wilcox Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Henry Abbott Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Howell Cheney Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, J. M. Wright Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Norwich Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Oliver Wolcott Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Platt Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Vinal Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, W. F. Kaynor Technical High School

  • Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Windham Technical High School

  • Danbury School District, Danbury High School

  • East Windsor School District, East Windsor High School

  • Enfield School District, Enfield High School

  • Griswold School District, Griswold High School

  • Hartford School District, Hartford Public High School

  • Montville School District, Montville High School

  • New Haven School District, James Hillhouse High School

  • New Haven School District, Wilbur Cross High School

  • New London School District, New London High School

  • Norwalk School District, Brien McMahon High School

  • Norwalk School District, Norwalk High School

  • Norwich Free Academy District, Norwich Free Academy

  • Stamford School District, Westhill High School

  • Torrington School District, Torrington High School

  • Waterbury School District, Crosby High School

  • Waterbury School District, John F. Kennedy High School

  • Waterbury School District, Wilby High School

  • Windham School District, Windham High School