NASFAA Mention: Research Shows FAFSA Completion Rate Declining; Michigan Down 12.2%

"This Saturday, May 1, is the deadline for prospective college enrollees in Michigan to fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. That’s a requirement for all sorts of scholarships, grants, work study and federal loans. This year there may be more available," WILX reports. 

..."Sallie Mae says almost everyone gets something. In Michigan, 46% of students in the class of 2021 have completed the FAFSA, a 12.2% decline compared to last academic year.

'That is a really big jump and my guess would be that would be in large part due to the pandemic and the different things, the uncertainty, the uncertainty with finances, things like that,' Megan Coval said, Vice President of Policy and Federal Relations at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

If the pandemic has changed your family’s income, where you live, or even your bills, there are more options when it comes to getting financial help for your education."

 

..."Experts are hopeful as the world comes out the other side of COVID-19, numbers will go back up.

'With just so many students experiencing so many different external factors leading to a lot of uncertainty, I think that explains that dip,' Coval said. 'I’m hopeful that we’ll get back to a place of where we were before and definitely encourage everyone to fill it out.'"

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

 

Publication Date: 4/29/2021

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