FAFSA Completion Challenge Grant

Posted by National College Access Network on March 7, 2016

FAFSA Completion Challenge Grant Available for Largest U.S. Cities

NCAN invites your city to submit a proposal for the FAFSA Completion Challenge Grant. With financial support from The Kresge Foundation, NCAN is challenging your city to raise its FAFSA completion rates among the Class of 2017 by at least 5%, compared to the Class of 2015. The goal of the FAFSA Completion Challenge Grant is to strengthen urban post-secondary ecosystems by raising FAFSA completion rates among high school seniors in U.S. cities across the country.

118 U.S. cities are invited to submit a proposal for a grant of up to $55,000 supporting the planning and execution of a citywide, cross-sector FAFSA completion effort for the 2016-17 school year. Deadline to apply is April 15.

Up to 20 cities will be selected. In September 2017, NCAN will also award three to five additional monetary prizes totally $300,000 among the 20 grant-funded cities. Prizes will go to:

• The city demonstrating greatest percentage growth in high school FAFSA completions for the Class of 2017, compared to the Class of 2015.
• The city demonstrating the highest high school FAFSA completion rate for the Class of 2017.
• The city demonstrating the most innovative or collaborative FAFSA completion strategy and/or partnership with post-secondary institutions.

Why Now?

Two significant changes to the FAFSA in the fall of 2016 will make applying for aid easier and better timed than ever for low-income students. First, FAFSA will change to accept tax data most families have already filed earlier in the year with the IRS, which can be used to pre-populate many FAFSA questions and reduce the difficulty of completing the application. Second, the start date for FAFSA completion will move up from January 1 to October 1. High school seniors will be able to complete FAFSA and receive their federal financial aid eligibility before, rather than after, deadlines to submit college admissions applications. This shift will encourage more low-income students to complete college applications because they will know that a Pell Grant is available to them. The Obama Administration estimates that in the first year alone, these changes could help 50,000 additional students apply for and receive Pell Grants.

This year is a strategic moment to increase FAFSA completion initiatives, take advantage of these beneficial FAFSA changes, and dispel old beliefs that FAFSA is too complicated or that “I’m not eligible.” Cities are a natural place to concentrate FAFSA assistance to ensure that we reach large numbers of students with support. Let’s work together to help our students access these unclaimed dollars and ultimately improve post-secondary student outcomes.

How to Apply

NCAN will only accept grant proposals from one of the listed eligible organizations in each city. NCAN determined a list of 118 eligible cities using the Census Bureau’s 2014 estimated population data. It includes the 100 largest cities by population size and the largest city in each state.

• Confirm your city is eligible to apply.
• Review grant application requirements and selection criteria.
• Confirm which entity will submit the application from list of eligible applicants.
• Submit application on or before Friday, April 15, 2016 (11:59 PM Eastern).

If you believe NCAN has overlooked a relevant organization in the list of eligible applicants, please contact us using the email below. NCAN will consider whether to add the organization to the list.

To aid you in the grant application process, NCAN is hosting an informational webinar for prospective applicants on Wednesday, March 16 at 2 pm Eastern. Register today.

FAFSA Completion Challenge grant resources and application are available on NCAN’s website at http://www.collegeaccess.org/FAFSAchallenge. NCAN thanks The Kresge Foundation for FAFSA Completion Challenge grant funding.

Questions? Contact Lisa King, FAFSA Completion Challenge grant coordinator, at LisaKing@collegeaccess.org.