FAFSA completion for college is trending down. How NJ nonprofit is trying to change that
During Passaic High School's graduation rehearsal this spring, there was a new twist added to the event — a push by a local nonprofit to get the soon-to-be graduates to file federal college financial aid forms.
The group, More Than Bootstraps, held a FAFSA Completion Campaign, where mentors spread the word to their graduating senior peers that they should complete the FAFSA for the 2024-25 academic year by the deadline, which was June 30.
The nonprofit organized the event because FAFSA completion is down nationwide among high school graduates, especially for low-income students and students of color in underserved communities.
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The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is administered by the U.S. Department of Education, and allows college-bound students to be considered for federal student aid. In addition, states and colleges use FAFSA information to award their own grants, scholarships and loans.
More Than Bootstraps, founded in 2018, provides first-generation and underrepresented students from Passaic holistic services to aid them in the college application process.
“Our students embody their families’ hopes and dreams," said Audrey Fisch, the nonprofit's president. "However, public education has experienced cuts that have diminished opportunities for student success. MTB fills this gap.”
More Than Bootstraps trains college students at different institutions to mentor younger peers. All peers attend Passaic public schools, and the college mentors are all graduates of Passaic public schools who now attend such schools as Dartmouth College and William Paterson University.
Mentors meet with their fellows weekly and focus on helping the younger students learn about college and the financial aid process, personal development and communication with families.
More: Rutgers, other NJ colleges extend student acceptance dates due to FAFSA delays
Fisch said More Than Bootstraps is different from other educational nonprofits, which can lead parents to spend on extensive training by paid experts with a focus on tutoring and test preparation. “In contrast, we know our students’ challenges are not primarily academic, and we harness the ability of first generation, low income students to support each other on the road to and through higher education,” said Fisch.
Changes to FAFSA
The redesigned and updated FAFSA — released Dec. 31 to implement changes established in the 2020 FAFSA Simplification Act passed by Congress — is a streamlined form that removes barriers to aid for homeless students, reinstates federal aid eligibility for incarcerated people, and increases by 1.5 million the number of low-income students who will qualify for the maximum federal Pell Grants. These are awarded to families in the lowest income tiers used to calculate financial aid.
In New Jersey, changes to FAFSA will increase the number of Pell Grant recipients by 8,802 and the maximum number of Pell recipients by 30,453, the department of education said.
More: There's a new FAFSA form. Why is it often unavailable and how will it affect student aid?
The new FAFSA form was released three months later than the usual date of early October, and it was available only intermittently during the first weeks of a "soft launch."
“The students in More Than Bootstraps come from the kind of community that the FAFSA ‘improvements’ hit hard,” said Fisch. Some changes included a new rule that parents without a social security number were unable to access the FAFSA until late March.
“We understand the importance of having people from the community helping in the first place, as it builds trust and fosters a sense of not being alone,” said Melissa Reyes, a Dartmouth College leader fellow at More Than Bootstraps.
More Than Bootstraps has grown from 11 students in 2020-2021 to a projected 51 students in 2024-2025. “We have had a 100% high school graduation rate, 90% to 100% college matriculation rate, and a 100% college retention and four-year graduation rate,” said Fisch.
“We aim to close the FAFSA completion gap, enabling students — many of whom are the first in their families to pursue higher education — to secure this essential aid,” said Reyes. MTB helped at least seven families apply before this year's deadline.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Passaic High School group helps students with FAFSA for college
