Starting in the 2020-2021 academic year, Texas will require high school students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), becoming the second state to do so. The only other state that currently requires FAFSA completion from high school students before they graduate is Louisiana, which began doing so last year. In requiring FAFSA completion, Texas hopes to increase the number of students receiving financial aid.
According to Inside Higher Ed: “During the past academic year, Louisiana saw FAFSA completions by high school students climb by more than 25 percent. College access groups say high school seniors leave millions of aid dollars on the table each year by not completing the form — often because it’s too difficult or they don’t believe they’ll qualify for aid.”
Requiring FAFSA completion is an option which several states have considered in order to ensure that more high school seniors are able to pursue a higher education. As research has shown, increasing the amount of students receiving financial aid will increase the amount of students that enroll (and remain enrolled) in higher education, as well as possibly increasing graduation rates. If Texas experiences success similar to Louisiana, other states which had considered the idea in the past might be convinced to enact it.
Source/Full Article: Inside Higher Ed, Making the FAFSA Mandatory