AzCAN News & Updates

December 2023

Registration for Spring College Access Professional (CAP) Training Courses is open!

Topics include:

• Introduction to Financial Aid

• College and Career Planning in the Middle Grades

• Financial Aid Programs

• The FAFSA Step-By-Step

*Completion of the four Financial Aid CAP courses results in an Arizona Financial Aid Specialist certification!

View Courses & Register

FAFSA Kick-Off Recap

Thank you to everyone who attended the FAFSA Kickoff and AzCAN Launch! We were astonished by the amount of attendees - over 400 of you gathered from across the state to learn, collaborate, and gain valuable tools around the new FAFSA and college-going practices.

This inspiring event was made possible through the strong partnership with the Arizona Board of Regents, Arizona Department of Education, and the National College Attainment Network. It's collective efforts like these that move us towards closing the 500K degree gap our state is facing.

Better FAFSA Resource Hub

As we all prepare for the release of the Better FAFSA, be sure to access the 2024-2025 Better FAFSA Resource Hub for up-to-date resources to support students, families, and administrators with the implementation and completion of the Better FAFSA Form.

Comprehensive resources curated from:

• Federal Student Aid (FSA)

• National College Attainment Network (NCAN)

• Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR)

• Arizona College Access Network (AzCAN)

• Ask Benji

• uAspire

View Resources

Webinar: Arizona FAFSA Challenge, Dec. 19th, 10am

Is your high school or district interested in the 2023-24 Arizona FAFSA Challenge?

Get equipped with the knowledge needed to make the most of this year's FAFSA Challenge, including participation guidelines, awards, and recognition categories. Join the challenge and contribute to increased FAFSA completion rates in Arizona!

Save My Spot

Jenn's Corner

Happy Holidays to the dedicated AzCAN Community!!!!! 2023 has been an incredible year (look at those awesome stats) and we can't wait to see what 2024 brings for college access professionals in Arizona!

Do you need graduate credit for salary advancement or to resolve an ADE K-12 school counselor certification credit deficiency? Effective January 2024, all CAP Training courses are eligible for graduate credits through Lindenwood University Learn more here or email me for more questions.

Dr. Jennifer Murphy,

Senior Director, Attainment and AzCAN

NCAN News & Resources

Recent findings from a CCR-related survey,

provided by school leaders, revealed both troubling and illuminating insights on postsecondary outcomes. Read here.

Helpful resources:

Better FAFSA Training Toolkit

Better FAFSA Page

Better FAFSA Awareness Toolkit

Better FAFSA "Best" Practices January Lunch and Learn

Join us on January 17th with speakers from the ADE's Office of Homeless, Foster Care, & Refugee Education Program Coordinator presenting on the Foster Care FAFSA process and its impact. A guest speaker from Aliento will also speak on an alternative application process for non-documented AZ students.

View full series schedule