February 7th and 8th were the dates for Arizona's College Goal FAFSA events!  Flyers and posters were available in early January.  Please consider announcing these upcoming events in your school newsletter. For sample newsletter and examples on how to promote College Goal FAFSA, please visit our website, www.collegegoal.az.gov/college-goal-fafsa 

Thank you for your efforts each year in promoting these events.  As many of you know, this is the annual process of providing assistance to parents and students while they complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at locations in the community, typically hosted by post-secondary education institutions throughout the state.

By following the Arizona College Application Campaign with College Goal FAFSA, we can help students complete the two most important applications of their lives:

1) an application for a post-secondary education, and

2) an application for financial aid to help pay for that education.

The U.S. Department of Education has shared statistical data that shows almost 90% of students who complete a FAFSA application receive some form of federal aid while attending a post-secondary institution.  Also, the White House noted in a press release on December 4, 2014, "Annually over one million high school graduates have failed to file the FAFSA form leaving at a minimum two billion dollars in unclaimed federal Pell dollars. FAFSA remains the foundational document for determining state grants, as well as most private and institutional awards."

Some high schools have indicated an interest in hosting FAFSA completion nights at their campus computer labs in order to reach even more parents and students directly.  This is a great way to support the parents and their seniors who might not have an opportunity to make it to a College Goal FAFSA community event.  We encourage and support your efforts to host a High School FAFSA Night on any weekday evening that works for your schedule.  The FAFSA online with helpful "chat" representatives makes the application process easier than ever to complete!

Another tidbit of information you might want to share with your high school counselor network, is that increasing FAFSA completion rates in Arizona ensures that students in our state receive the maximum financial aid that they are eligible for.  According to a recent analysis of U.S. Department of Education data, in 2013 there were over 21,500 high school graduates in the state of Arizona who would have been Federal Pell Grant eligible students, but they did not complete a FAFSA and missed out on claiming over $75 million (an average of $3,400 each) in free financial aid.  You can see the full story at http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/nerdscholar/2015/fafsa-college-money-left-on-table/.

The College Goal FAFSA Taskforce is developing some "tool-kit" resources for the High School Counselors that we'll be posting to the College Goal FAFSA website.  I'll keep you updated as they are developed so you can share the information you think is helpful.

I hope you will forward this email to your colleagues and also encourage your students to complete the FAFSA at a College Goal FAFSA event or a High School FAFSA Night.  Questions?  Visit the website www.collegegoal.az.gov or feel free to call me at the number below.

Thanks again for your help!

Sincerely,

Deena

Deena Lager

Director of Arizona Student Financial Aid and

Director of the Arizona Family College Savings (529) Program

Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education

2020 North Central Ave., Suite 650

Phoenix, AZ  85004

Telephone: 602.258.2435 x103

Email: dlager@azhighered.gov

www.azhighered.gov

...expanding access and increasing success in postsecondary education for Arizonans