Grant Helps Increase FAFSA Completions in Stark County

February 4, 2022

According to a 2020 report by Education Strategy Group (ESG), students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are more likely to enroll in higher education. Ninety percent of FAFSA completers attend college directly after high school, compared to just 55% of students who don’t complete the FAFSA. It is an important key to postsecondary attainment.

What is the FAFSA?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form completed by current and prospective students pursuing postsecondary education in the United States to determine their eligibility for student financial aid.

FAFSA is not just about college. A majority of students at Ohio technical schools in programs such as welding, public safety, and construction also typically qualify for Pell funding to provide potentially debt-free support for their education.

FAFSA22 Grant Acquired

In October 2021, the Stark Education Partnership was one of 25 organizations that secured a FAFSA grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education. This is a yearlong grant that provides funding to help districts secure necessary resources to improve our FAFSA completion rates.

Highlights of the Grant

22 districts participate in the grant, including all Stark County school districts.
Stark Education Partnership provides resources and weekly updates to all districts.
Local colleges and universities are great partners and each provides a point of contact to help answer FAFSA questions. A training video is available to our teams, thanks to their support.
As of January 21, 2022, 1,510 students have completed the FAFSA, representing 33.1% of potential students.
We encourage school personnel to have ongoing, repeated communication with students and families and to share deadline reminders along with the benefits of completing the FAFSA. Additionally, schools may consider hosting events that highlight the importance of FAFSA and provide specific guidance in completing the application.

The Stark Education Partnership (a 501(c)3 non-profit organization) collaborates with education, business, civic and community members across the entire spectrum – cradle to career – to create and respond to opportunities that will provide ALL students with education and career success. View as Webpage