Do not hesitate to reach out to Dr. Jennifer Murphy (jmurphy@educationforwardarizona.org) if you have any questions!

Exciting Updates to Guide to Your Future

The Guide to Your Future website is now available completamente en español! This exciting update means even more students, families, and educators can access valuable college and career resources in their preferred language. Explore tools, tips, and information to help every student plan their next step now in English and Spanish.

Save the Date: AzCAN Happy Hour

Join us on Thursday, October 9, from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. for a fun and inspiring afternoon as we celebrate the incredible work of school counselors, educators, and college access professionals! This is your chance to kick off the 2025–2026 school year in style, reconnect with friends, and make new connections with like-minded colleagues who share your passion for student success. Come for the networking, stay for the camaraderie and let’s toast to all the amazing work ahead! 

Be sure to RSVP and swing by anytime between 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.!

Save the Date for the 2025 CCRI Summit!

Join educators, school counselors and leaders from across the state dedicated to Arizona’s College & Career Readiness Indicators (CCRI) on Friday, November 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Mesa Community College-Southern and Dobson campus. For more information, reach out to Andrea Glenn at andrea.glenn@azed.gov.

2025-2026 Virtual Lunch & Learn Series

Join the Ask Benji team during your “lunch break” to learn about important resources, updates, information, and events related to all things college and career readiness!!

Get ahead of the game and register for all the Fall 2025 Lunch & Learn webinarson the Ask Benji website.

Register for a Fall 2025 Snack Pack Session

Join ABOR, ADE, and AzCAN staff for bite-sized professional development during the upcoming Fall 2025 semester. Tune in virtually to learn about impactful updates on the latest tools, resources, data, and more - all designed to support your CCR efforts! Register your school or district team below for the option that best works with your schedule:



Option 1: September 17, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Option 2: October 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Register Now for the Arizona ACT Conference

Join us for the 2025 Arizona ACT Conference on Tuesday, December 9, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Arizona State University Tempe campus. This one-day event brings together educators, counselors, and community partners to share strategies, resources, and inspiration to support Arizona students in achieving their college and career goals. Do not miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and collaborate!

Sign Up Now for the Arizona College-Going Initiatives!

The Arizona Board of Regents is excited to announce that sign-ups are now open for its college-going initiatives for the 2025-2026 school year. These initiatives include:

• Arizona College Application Campaign
• Arizona FAFSA Challenge
• Arizona Decision Day

Schools that register will receive a FREE toolkit (stickers, swag, and digital resources) for all three programs. The toolkits are first-come, first-served and will be mailed directly to schools starting August 4. 

Mark Your Calendars - The Southwest Middle Grades Summit

The Arizona Association for Middle Level Education in partnership with the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation is hosting the Southwest Middle Grades Summit on Saturday, September 20, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Learn more and register here.

FAFSA Coalition Bootcamp Series

The Arizona FAFSA Boot Camp Webinar Series is here to provide you with the latest tools, resources, and strategies to guide students through every stage of the FAFSA process. Each interactive session offers timely updates, best practices, and live Q&A with FAFSA experts so you can confidently support students and families on their path to postsecondary success.

Bonus: Participants will receive a FAFSA Certificate of Completion for each Boot Camp webinar they attend. Collect all three to show your dedication to FAFSA success!

Session 1: 2026–27 FAFSA Updates - What You Need to Know

Thursday, September 18, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 am

Registration Link

Session 2: After the FAFSA - What Happens Next?

Thursday, September 25, 2025, 10:00am - 11:00 am

Registration Link

Session 3: Arizona College Connect - New Features & Tools for FAFSA Success

Thursday, October 2, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 am

Registration Link

FAFSA Resource Hub

The AzCAN FAFSA Resource Hub, a dynamically updated one-stop-shop for all things FAFSA, has been updated to reflect the 2026-2027 FAFSA cycle. Be sure to bookmark this valuable resource and share widely with colleagues supporting Arizona students through the FAFSA completion process!

Fall 2026 Capital One Cafe FAFSA Workshops

Save the Dates!

AzCAN and Ask Benji, in partnership with the Capital One Cafe, will host in-person FAFSA completion workshops on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

This year, we will host both FAFSA experts to support students and families in the completion process as well as college and university staff to assist in application completion.

RSVP links will be available in the September AzCAN Newsletter!

Interested in becoming an Ask Benji partner school?

Partnering with Ask Benji, Arizona’s AI-powered FAFSA chatbot, allows your high school seniors to receive timely, personalized text messages focused on postsecondary pathways, financial aid, and FAFSA support. Your school can also create customized nudges aligned with your community’s post-high school planning efforts and FAFSA completion events - enhancing support and engagement every step of the way.

Learn more here or reach out to Graciela Nobles: gnobles@educationforwardarizona.org.

The Fight Forward Continues: NCAN's Year in Review

Take a look back at a year of progress and perseverance with The Fight Forward: NCAN’s Year in Review. This reflection highlights the collective efforts, lessons, and wins that are shaping the path toward greater educational equity and attainment.

NCAN's Federal Policy Action Center

Stay informed on relevant federal policy updates around the programs and funding that matter most to our students and families by bookmarking the NCAN Federal Policy Action Center. You will have access to a dynamically updated hub of information, tools, and resources to support students and families as they prepare for education and training beyond high school.

FAFSA Summit Inspires Action for Postsecondary Attainment

The Arizona FAFSA Coalition hosted the 2025 FAFSA Summit, bringing together more than 100 school counselors, educators, state leaders, and community partners.

The event featured insights from Peter Granville of the Century Foundation, on supporting FAFSA completion and a preview of updates to the 2026–27 FAFSA form from Chris Cummings of Federal Student Aid. A panel of experts and advocates sparked dialogue on strategies to strengthen FAFSA completion statewide.

Coalition members also explored innovative and collaborative ideas to scale FAFSA completion efforts, while engaging in candid conversations about Arizona’s FAFSA completion goal for the 2025–26 school year, set to be formally announced at the 2025 FAFSA and College Readiness Symposium on September 12.

Advancing access to financial aid through FAFSA completion is key to ensuring more students can continue their education after high school. Strengthening FAFSA completion reduces financial barriers for students and families, while fueling progress toward Arizona’s attainment goal. Together, these efforts build a stronger workforce and create a brighter future for all Arizonans.