Connecticut is first in the country, so why aren’t we celebrating?
Recently released Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data show Connecticut has the highest submission rate of all 50 states. This is a major achievement and reflects the drive and determination of our students and the efforts of educators, caregivers, and partners.
However, the data are also deeply distressing and should be a cause for concern and action. Our nation’s FAFSA submission rate dropped from 48 percent in March 2023 to 32 percent in March 2024. So far this year, 600,000 fewer high school seniors have submitted the FAFSA compared to this time last year. This means more students are deferring their dreams of higher education, or perhaps still striving for college, trade, and technical programs, yet not accessing the resources available to them.
Why is FAFSA completion a big deal? Access to higher education can have life-changing and multigenerational effects, and 70% of Connecticut jobs require some form of higher education. The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) recently released dashboards showing the increased earning potential for those with higher degrees, and students who complete the FAFSA are 84% more likely to enroll in postsecondary education than those who do not.
The FAFSA unlocks financial aid, reduces student debt, and promotes access to multiple pathways, including community college, four-year institutions, trade/technical programs, and advanced degrees. Students must complete the FAFSA to be eligible for federal aid, and Connecticut students may receive up to $20,000 in aid each year. By reducing financial barriers to higher education, we level the playing field and promote access for all students.
Connecticut maintains significant opportunity gaps when it comes to higher education — among students of color, first-generation students, and those from low-income backgrounds — and tools like the FAFSA can disrupt these gaps. However, even before the recent FAFSA challenges, Connecticut students left over $31 million in unclaimed Pell Grants on the table in 2023; the challenges this year will undoubtedly exacerbate this trend.
So what happened? In past years, Oct. 1 marked FAFSA release day; high school seniors and those enrolled in higher education could then apply to understand their eligibility for various forms of financial aid, lowering the cost of higher education and making it more accessible to all students regardless of background and financial circumstances. Colleges, universities, and trade/technical programs use FAFSA data to determine school-based financial aid, as well.
On Dec. 31, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education released a new application dubbed the “Better FAFSA.” The old application absolutely needed a refresh; the form was overwhelming and outdated. The Better FAFSA aspires to streamline the application, promote eligibility, and make for a better user experience.
However, the new application has yet to live up to its name. The Better FAFSA has been mired with challenges, including intermittent availability early in the release, use of outdated inflation data, technical glitches for parents without Social Security numbers, incorrect calculations for hundreds of thousands of students, delayed transmissions to higher education institutions, and more. The near-term cost to our students is heartbreaking and inexcusable.
In October 2023, Dalio Education and Boston Consulting Group released Connecticut’s Unspoken Crisis, revealing how 119,000 young people across the state are experiencing disconnection. The FAFSA rollout illustrates how system failures result in disconnection. This is not a reflection on our students, their ambitions, and their potential. Instead, year-over-year FAFSA declines are the result of bureaucratic missteps.
[Report: About 19% of CT youth ‘disconnected’ or ‘at risk’ in 2021-22]
So, how do we move forward? How can Connecticut continue to serve as a leader in FAFSA completion? Over the past nearly nine years, the RISE Network has partnered with high schools in and beyond Connecticut to ensure all students graduate with a plan and the skills and confidence to achieve postsecondary success. We support schools and educators through coaching and the RISE Data Hub to track plan identification and milestone completion, including the FAFSA.
We also facilitate improvement networks where schools work together to pilot new innovations to help all students pursue their goals to enlist in the military, enter the workforce, and/or pursue higher education. For example, our partner schools offer summer academies to help rising seniors get a jumpstart on the planning process, application campaigns to support students in completing access milestones, FAFSA task forces to provide students and families with individualized support, senior signing days to celebrate students as they unveil their plans, and our summer melt texting programs to support students after graduation. And we use the RISE Data Hub to monitor progress toward goals and organize equitable support for all students.
Prior to the Better FAFSA, Connecticut launched a FAFSA Challenge to draw attention to the application and support school innovations to promote FAFSA completion. RISE is proud to partner with the CSDE on the FAFSA Challenge. For four straight years, the FAFSA Challenge has supported substantial improvements among participating schools.
These examples show that we can and must do more to support all students as they pursue their goals. Connecticut must continue to fund effective programs like the FAFSA Challenge. If you know a high school senior, please encourage them to complete the FAFSA; students will not know they are eligible for aid unless they apply. And we must work together to support our schools in pioneering new strategies to promote postsecondary access and opportunity. This requires funding and a fundamental respect and appreciation for our educators, as well as the unwavering belief and investment in all of our students.
The FAFSA may not be “better” just yet, but we certainly can and must do better in supporting the aspirations of all young people.
Emily Pallin is Executive Director of The RISE Network.