FAFSA Support for District Leaders

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Type: Toolkit

Topics: College- Career- and Life-Readiness

May 22, 2024

AASA has gathered a compilation of resources from the U.S. Department of Education (USED), the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), and other K-12 Higher Education partners to aid district and school leaders in guiding their students and families through the new FAFSA process.

Spotlight Resources:

New! Mitigating the Summer Melt: Guidance for Districts

Every year, an estimated 10-40% of high school seniors intending to go to college don’t arrive on campus the following fall. This phenomenon, “summer melt,” disproportionately impacts first-generation college students and students from low-income backgrounds. To help mitigate summer melt, check out this new recommendations guide prepared in partnership with AASA and the National College Attainment Network (NCAN).

Access Toolkit

New! FAFSA Student Support Strategy

The goal of the FAFSA Student Support Strategy from the U.S. Department of Education is to increase the number of students who complete a 2024-25 FAFSA and enroll in college, particularly first-time students. ECMC Group will support these activities by providing funds to organizations with experience in providing these or similar services.

Learn More and Apply

Ready-Made Letter to Staff

Download this message to share with your staff that includes direct links to resources.

Download Message

Webinars, Videos and Virtual Training Opportunities

One Pagers

Better FAFSA Toolkits

From USED:

The Better FAFSA for Students and their Families

For Parents and Families - PDF

For Educators and Counselors - PDF

Host a FAFSA Completion Event

Leveraging strategies from previous academic years for FAFSA completion may not entirely bridge the current nationwide gaps. FAFSA completion events are a critical part of serving many students and families simultaneously and the guides below from USED offers many suggestions in various formats.

How To Host a FAFSA Completion Event Guide | Best Practices Guide

FSA ID Creation Guide

An important change to the FAFSA process this cycle is that FSA ID creation is not immediate. NCAN recommends trying to ensure students and contributors have FSA IDs before they show up for a FAFSA completion event. Otherwise, they may need to come to a subsequent event after creating their ID at the first one.

FSA ID How to Guide - Updated Version

Blog Posts

Stay Updated on FAFSA Support from AASA

Submit this form to receive regular updates from AASA on this critical issue.

Submit Form

Using ESSER Funds

Did you know that you can use ESSER funds to bolster your FAFSA supports? Consider shifting some remaining ESSER funds (or other resources) to prepare for more all-hands-on-deck support for the critical period after FAFSA applications are submitted.

Additional Resources from the National College Attainment Network

Visit the Better FAFSA Toolkit from NCAN, which includes ongoing training opportunities and timely updates.

Visit NCAN