Research shows that high school seniors who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are more likely to enroll in higher education, persist in their college coursework, and obtain a degree.
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) and the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) have just launched the inaugural TN FAFSA Challenge in order to increase the FAFSA completion rate among students in Tennessee and to open the door to scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial aid.
THEC is teaming with Tennessee Promise, The Ayers Foundation, tnAchieves, high school counselors, and many others to encourage high schools to promote FAFSA completion by the Tennessee Promise deadline of February 1st.
“Completing a FAFSA opens the door for thousands of dollars in state and federal financial aid for Tennessee’s students,” says Emily House, executive director of THEC and TSAC. “Our goal is that every eligible Tennessee high school senior has the opportunity to complete a FAFSA, especially before the Tennessee Promise deadline of February 1.”
Schools are able to track their progress, and see the progress of other high schools across the state, using a data visualization map created and shared by THEC, along with a variety of other student support resources, at CollegeforTN.org.
High schools competing in the TN FAFSA Challenge have the opportunity to be recognized for outstanding achievement in three categories: Highest completion rate, most improved completion rate compared to the previous year, and FAFSA Champion. Schools will compete in the Challenge with schools of similar size.
THEC and TSAC have curated a number of resources for students and schools to support Tennessee’s FAFSA completion efforts, including. step-by-step FAFSA-filing instructions and videos. School resources include guides focused on helping high schools strengthen their FAFSA completion numbers.