Departments of Higher Education, Education and Workforce Urge Students to Complete FAFSA

July 16, 2024

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) Chancellor Mike Duffey and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Director Stephen D. Dackin are continuing to urge students across Ohio to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Upon completion, many students are able to receive debt-free financial aid for college or postsecondary training.

Ohio is ahead of the national average in FAFSA completion rates this year but remains six percent behind last year's rate. While this is a relatively positive position given well-publicized federal delays in the form's release at the end of 2023, ODHE and DEW want to ensure as many families as possible are taking advantage of this opportunity for financial assistance.

"We want to be sure that Ohio students are not leaving money on the table that could help them achieve their educational and career dreams," ODHE Chancellor Duffey said. "While we are proud that Ohio is ahead of the national average, we continue to encourage more students to complete the FAFSA, and we urge local leaders to join us in our efforts to get the word out. The form is free, but it could save Ohio students and their families thousands of dollars."

"We want all students to be on a pathway to future success and that includes helping them discover what they want to do and how they intend to pay for it," DEW Director Dackin said. "Completing the FAFSA is an important step all students should take to learn about the financial aid opportunities available for college and postsecondary training."

Upon completing the FAFSA, eligible students can receive up to $7,395 per year in federal Pell grants, up to $5,000 in Ohio College Opportunity Grants from the State of Ohio, and access to countless other grants from colleges or foundations.

Ohio has stepped up its efforts to promote FAFSA completion among students over the last several years, creating a toolkit on ItsForYou.org and dashboards that help schools track completion rates.

According to Ohio FAFSA by the Numbers, the state's overall submission rate was 52% as of June 14, 2024. This is 4.1% ahead of the national year-to-date submission rate of 47.9%.

ODHE and DEW have collaborated in 2024 to implement a variety of strategies to boost FAFSA completion and ensure students that there is still time to complete the form for the 2024-2025 academic year. Efforts include:

• Distribution of FAFSA completion posters to public high schools
• A letter distributed to school superintendents
• An op-ed co-written by Chancellor Duffey and Director Dackin
• Updated resources on ItsForYou.org, ODHE's and DEW's website dedicated to the FAFSA

ODHE has also received a $500,000 grant from the Education Credit Management Corp. to allow Ohio's state-administered FAFSA completion efforts to continue over the summer.