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The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is set to do something it hasn鈥檛 done since October 1: open on time. FAFSA completion for high school seniors , and now the class of 2026 is poised to hit an all-time completion high nationally. For district leaders looking to increase postsecondary matriculation rates in their districts, the question isn鈥檛 whether to invest in FAFSA completion. It鈥檚 how.

The FAFSA is a five-letter acronym that has historically made many people say some choice four-letter words. It doesn鈥檛 have to be this way, though, thanks to improvements to the FAFSA process. District leaders can employ these strategies to ensure the four-letter word students and families are using about FAFSA is 鈥淒ONE.鈥�

The FAFSA is the key that unlocks the door to federal, and sometimes state and institutional, financial aid like the Pell Grant, Federal Work Study, and federal student loans (which carry favorable terms compared to private loans). This financial aid can help to pay for education and training after high school. High school seniors鈥� completion of the FAFSA is within six months of high school graduation.

Tips to Set Students Up for Success

The FAFSA for the class of 2026 officially returns to an October 1, but the form is as part of an ongoing beta testing period. This means financial aid nights will be back on the docket earlier in the 2025-26 academic year. It鈥檚 not too early to think about how to set seniors up for success in this process, and the following are approaches to consider at the district and school levels.

• Get the Data, Use the Data. Most states are now providing to districts and schools. District leaders may have to sign an agreement with the state to get the data flowing. Once the FAFSA completion data start coming in, it鈥檚 a valuable way to measure school-level progress and triage the right supports to students. Using past district and school FAFSA completion data, you can set completion goals that staff, students, and families can rally around.
  
  
• Don鈥檛 Go It Alone. Although FAFSA completion activities often fall to school counselors, they shouldn鈥檛 bear this responsibility alone. School leaders, teachers, and other professionals in your school buildings should at minimum know what the FAFSA is, when it opens, and when and where the next FAFSA completion event is.
  
  
• Look for Partners. Area nonprofit partners may already be serving students with college access supports and would likely love to get involved with helping more students. Additionally, your local higher education institution鈥檚 financial aid office is a great resource for inviting to FAFSA completion events; they鈥檙e the experts, after all.
  
  
• Have a Plan. 鈥淔inancial aid nights鈥� (whether they occur at night or not) are a popular approach to delivering FAFSA completion support. No need to reinvent the wheel here. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has a to planning such a night, the Utah System for Higher Education (USHE) has .
  
  
• Early Awareness Paves the Way. Senior year is too late to let students and families know about the need-based financial aid available through the FAFSA. Too many because their family doesn鈥檛 earn enough income when the reverse is actually true. Raising awareness of need-based financial aid and socializing students to the idea of completing the FAFSA to access it is a good way to build interest in both the FAFSA and education after high school.

As more and more districts and schools work to set students up for success following high school, FAFSA is a key milestone for accessing the financial aid that makes a postsecondary education more affordable. With the right strategies, superintendents can ensure FAFSA completion is a launch pad for a student鈥檚 next, best step, not an obstacle to taking it.

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