Public high schools around the Tampa Bay area are invited to participate once again in a competition to increase completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
It’s all part of a statewide effort called the Florida FAFSA Challenge, which aims to boost the number of Florida students completing the federal financial aid application by 5 percent each year. Encouraging FAFSA completion continues to be a top priority within the state because it’s estimated that Florida high school graduates leave over $100 million in Pell Grants on the table each year simply because they do not complete the application.
The 2019-2020 Florida FAFSA Challenge runs Oct. 1, 2019 through March 27, 2020. Top performing and most improved schools and districts will be recognized, as will all schools that increase their completion rates by 5% over last year.
To register your school for the challenge and to access tools and resources to help plan successful FAFSA completion events, visit the Florida College Access Network’s website.
LEAP Tampa Bay offers a number of resources to help students navigate the financial aid process. To get started, visit www.leaptampabay.org/moneymatters. Volunteers are also needed throughout the year to counsel students and families at financial aid events.