Major changes may be coming for high school students when it comes to applying for financial aid for post-secondary education. FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a form that allows high school seniors to apply to be eligible for federal student aid, such as grants, work-study funds, and loans.
For previous graduating seniors, completing the FAFSA has been optional, but a new proposed bill could make completing the FAFSA a requirement for future classes of graduating students. Senate Bill 463 has recently been voted on by the House Education Committee in Michigan, and will now move to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote. If passed, FAFSA completion would become a graduation requirement for the class of 2026.
“FAFSA for seniors is the gateway into college access. [For] any two-year school, [or] four-year school, FAFSA allows you to access scholarships, funding and grants…to help support you,” GLPS Superintendent William Barnes said.
Despite the advantages that a completed FAFSA offers students, it can often be seen as a mystery to students. Many students don’t even know why they are filling it out, and what it does for them once it is filled out. The high school wants the students to know about FAFSA, but they also want their students to understand why they are filling out the applications.
“I think it’s important for students to complete it, but it’s important for students to know why they’re completing it. There are a great number of postsecondary that don’t require a college education/FAFSA,” Barnes said.
To some, completing the FAFSA may seem pointless, as post-secondary education is not the only option available to students.
“What we don’t want to diminish is the non-college option. Going to college, going into the military, etc. are all of equal value at the end of high school…Our job as a school district is not to make you college or career-ready, but to make you choice-ready,” Barnes said.
While there have been concerns raised about the potential consequences that this law could have on Michigan students, there has also been a push to ensure the equitability of this law.
“This will not stop the student from graduating but it will require them to fill out the FAFSA paperwork, which will be better for them in the long run,” State Representative, and chair of the House Education Committee, Matt Koleszar said.
Making the FAFSA a graduation requirement for Michigan students aims to provide students with better access to financial aid.
“They will get more money for a post-high school education whether that be college or the trades they will hopefully have more money that they will have access to, that will help them pay for that,” Koleszar said.
With FAFSA completion not being a requirement for the graduating class of 2025 or prior graduating classes, there has been less emphasis on this topic, which has led to money available for financial aid going unused.
”Michigan ranks very low in FAFSA completion which means there is a lot of money out there from the federal government that could help kids reduce their student loan debt could help them get to a post-secondary education easier,” Koleszar said.
Lawmakers and educators alike hope that this new law could help more Michigan students have access to post-secondary opportunities.
“This could be a real homerun for Michigan students and help unlock a lot of access to college and trades, it can relieve a lot of financial barriers,” Koleszar said.
