DCAN In-Depth | May 1, 2020
FAFSA for those who need it most.
Dear Colleagues:

I recently read COVID-19 Impacts FAFSA Completion as Deadlines are Extended in the education journal, Diverse and was struck by the following passage:

"Both DeBaun and Applegate are concerned that the students who have not completed the applications are those who need financial aid most, students from lower-income households and first-generation college enrollees. 'These students are most likely to be eligible for Pell grants, so it represents a major problem of access that affects not only students,' DeBaun said. 'It’s also a challenge institutionally when the Pell grant is the cornerstone of their financial aid packages.'"

What we do in these challenging times matters, especially as it relates to FAFSA. That's why we'll continue to provide updates and resources to help you connect your students with the tools they need to achieve their educational dreams.

In togetherness,

Dr. Ashley Johnson
Executive Director, DCAN
HOW WE'RE DOING
A look at our goals and current data
As of April 29, the city of Detroit has a FAFSA completion rate of 54%, putting us slightly ahead of the state (52%) and national (51%) averages!

Way to go Detroit!

And, a special shout out to Frontier International Academy , which was recently announced as a regional winner of the Governor’s FAFSA Challenge!

The following schools were also recognized in the challenge as having a 75% completion rate or higher: Detroit International Academy, Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, Loyola High School and Detroit Cristo Rey High School.
Congratulations to Detroit's Top
Performing Schools!
These schools have above 70% completion:

  • Benjamin Carson High School of Science and Medicine
  • Cass Technical High School
  • Chandler Park Academy Middle-High School
  • Cornerstone Health and Technology High School
  • Detroit Cristo Rey High School
  • Detroit Edison Public School Academy
  • Detroit International Academy
  • Frontier International Academy 
  • Jalen Rose Leadership Academy
  • Pershing High School
  • Renaissance High School
  • Southeastern High School
  • University of Detroit Jesuit High School
  • Voyageur College Prep
RESOURCES
Helpful links and tools
For Your Students: DCAN's Recorded FAFSA Webinars

Topic: Welcome to FAFSA 101 
Materials: Presentation , Webinar

Topic: FAFSA Verification
Materials: Presentation, Webinar

For more COVID-19 senior supports and resources, go to: detroitcan.org/seniors .
REMINDER: OAKLAND
UNIVERSITY ADMITTED DAY
May 11: Calling all future Grizzlies!
Have your students registered for the Virtual DCAN & Oakland University Senior Admitted Day yet?

This event is specifically for students from your school who have been accepted to OU.

On May 11, from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m., we'll support future OU students with completing the critical college-going steps that can contribute to summer melt.

Please send your students this link to register.
UPDATE: #FORMYOURFUTURE FAFSA TRACKER
Call-to-Action: Support FAFSA completions in crisis
NCAN has launched a dashboard examining COVID-19's impact on FAFSA completions among high school seniors. Beyond national and state figures, users can find completions by Title I eligibility and locale.

"Although FAFSA completions have largely tracked last cycle's since January 1, from March 13-April 17, the percent change in year-over-year completions decreased by 2.8 percentage points .
There are currently 51,635 fewer completed FAFSAs by 4/17 compared to last year."

What can we do?

FAFSA Call-to-Action:
  • Meet with every senior and their parents if possible virtually to ensure they complete the FAFSA:
  • Answer questions about graduation;
  • Support them with steps after high school;
  • Support them with making a final postsecondary decision;
  • Speak openly to the anxiety that most students may have now that school is closed for the rest of the year;
  • Use the DCAN resources made available to you to best support your students.
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