July 18, 2017
Counties supported by Local College Access Networks saw FAFSA (Federal Application for Free Student Aid) completion rates increase 12.5% higher than counties not supported by Local College Access Networks (LCAN).
The Alachua County Education Compact–which serves as the LCAN for Alachua County–last fall issued a local FAFSA Challenge as part of a larger nationwide effort. In response to the call, Jennifer Taylor, Supervisor of Guidance and Student Services led the efforts of guidance counselors at seven Alachua County Public High Schools to meet the goal of achieving a 5 percent increase. The counselors’ collective work paid off, increasing the number of completed applications by 9.6 percent, nearly twice the goal of the challenge.
Florida fared well overall in its response to the challenge, with the third-highest year-to-year increase of any state in the number of total Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filings during the 2016-17 school year, according to the National College Access Network.
The state’s 19% improvement trailed only Utah (33%) and Wyoming (22%). Florida is the third most-populous state in the country, compared to Utah (30th) and Wyoming (51st, after D.C.). Read more here…