NCAN: Unclaimed Pell Grants Totaled $4.4 Billion for the High School Class of 2024
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
Non-filed FAFSAs continued to rise for the high school class of 2024, with the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) determining that these students left $4.4 billion in unclaimed Pell Grants, an increase of $400 million from the class of 2023.
The latest iteration of NCAN's report examined 2024-25 FAFSA completion rates with a state-by-state breakdown, the amount of Pell Grant funds left on the table by students not completing the FAFSA, and the amount of additional Pell Grants students in each state could stand to receive.
According to NCAN, the states with the highest amount of Pell Grant funds left on the table were California, Texas, and Florida. In California, the class of 2024 had a 62% FAFSA completion rate, resulting in over $557 million in unclaimed Pell Grants. Texas and Florida had a 58% and 45% FAFSA completion rate with $547 million and $358 million in unclaimed Pell Grants, respectively.
Across all 50 states and D.C., the average amount of unclaimed Pell Grant funds per state was about $20 million.
This increase in the class of 2024’s unclaimed Pell Grants could be explained by issues with the 2024-25 FAFSA. NCAN noted in its report that the delayed launch and technical issues with the FAFSA led to a decrease in the national FAFSA completion rate. Notably, 51.4% of the high school class of 2024 completed a FAFSA by August 30, compared to 57.8% for the class of 2023, NCAN found.
NCAN also noted that this year’s increase in the amount of unclaimed Pell Grant funds could have increased because the FAFSA Simplification Act expanded Pell Grant eligibility to more students, and the average allotted Pell Grant award grew since the 2023-24 award cycle.
In its report, NCAN stressed the importance of states prioritizing FAFSA completions. Beyond supporting students’ access to higher education, states also benefit from more FAFSA completions.
For example, NCAN found that the average state would gain an additional $19.3 million in Pell Grant funds from increasing FAFSA completions. Additionally, when more students receive more aid, they are more likely to enroll in postsecondary education, which will fill gaps in their state’s workforce, NCAN wrote.
States can boost their FAFSA completion rates in several ways, such as appropriating funds in their budget for school districts to support FAFSA completion or hosting statewide FAFSA helplines and FAFSA completion campaigns.
Notably, only nine states have universal FAFSA policies, where students must submit a FAFSA in order to graduate high school.FAFSA data-sharing could also boost FAFSA completion rates by helping high school counselors and other college access partners better target their outreach to help students complete the FAFSA.
“While students benefit most directly from completing the FAFSA and receiving federal student aid, states, too, stand to gain financially when students receive more Pell Grant dollars,” the report reads. “We should help eligible students take their Pell Grant off the table and put it toward their education beyond high school and, by extension, their futures.”
Publication Date: 5/1/2025
Sherry M | 5/1/2025 12:11:59 PM
I agree with Ben B. Additionally, there are multiple reasons less students completed a FAFSA for 2024, and the launch delays and complications may have been minor in the big picture. As noted in the article, 51.4% of the high school class of 2024 completed a FAFSA by August 30, compared to 57.8% for the class of 2023, and most were surprised this difference was not larger. There are smaller and shrinking graduating classes in many parts of the country. We need to place more thought and concern on students who are not attending college because it has become unaffordable regardless of Pell assistance, and students who have lost faith in what colleges can provide them. Economic conditions also drive students decisions about putting work before college. Colleges might not be offering what young people need and want.
Ben B | 5/1/2025 10:32:45 AM
How can this report assume that all 830,000 FAFSA non-filers would have been Pell-grant eligible., and thus, "left ($.4.4 billion) on the table?" Isn't it reasonable to state that non-filers include those with no need, those who immediately join the workforce, and/or those who enter the military, among other non-college life decisions? It's likely that just a fraction of the 830,000 non-filers were actually college applicants with Pell eligibility. While everyone can get on board with FAFSA completion initiatives, I find this report and it's assumptions to be quite flawed.
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