The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a critical component for students to be eligible to receive this financial assistance. The FAFSA is required for students to receive any federal financial aid and many states and individual colleges use it for financial assistance eligibility to determine overall financial aid packages. In many ways, completing the FAFSA is the gatekeeper to whether students can afford postsecondary schooling. 

Unlike most other steps in the college readiness process, completing the FAFSA must be done by families; educators, counselors, and even individual students cannot access the necessary information without input from parents and caregivers. But many families struggle to complete the FAFSA for a variety of reasons. From not recognizing the importance of the application to their child’s future to being uncertain how to access the necessary information to linguistic barriers to understanding the questions and requirements, there are many challenges for families in submitting the FAFSA in a timely manner. 

Because of the significant role FAFSA plays in allowing students to matriculate to the college of their choice, FAFSA completion is an essential component of college and career readiness (CCR) success. FAFSA completion rates should be a metric that schools and districts track alongside other CCR outcomes. Providing information and guidance to students and families about FAFSA should be embedded in CCR programming and practices. 

With this backdrop, administrators and counselors must act with intention, strategy, and often creativity to support students and families in preparing and completing the FAFSA. This toolkit is meant to help support this important work. Tools include: 

• 10 Things to Know About the New Updates to FAFSA
• Best Practices for Supporting Students and Families 
• Checklist: Tips and Strategies for Driving FAFSA Completion 
• Templates for Communicating with Students and Families
• Resources to Stay Up to Date

No student should be unable to go to college because they cannot receive the financial assistance they are eligible for. Use this information to help communicate to families about the FAFSA and find ways to support them in completing this essential step to postsecondary success.