Seven state recommendations for designing and implementing universal FAFSA policies¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 mixed) · 1 study (1 qualitative), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

EdTrust urges state legislators and state boards or departments of education to: publish data on alternative state-specific aid application completion; publish opt-out rates and track disparities; address the submission-completion gap; partner with college access organizations and local colleges; adopt universal FAFSA policies into statute; make FAFSA information accessible to all families; and "Make FAFSA submission a graduation requirement but allow the school staff members closest to students to waive the requirement." The recommendations aim to support students of color and students from low-income backgrounds through the complex FAFSA process.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• State legislators or state boards/departments of education with authority over graduation requirements and data publishing

Constraints¶

• The report states it is too soon to draw definitive conclusions about the impact of these policies, since some were implemented during the pandemic or the 2024-25 FAFSA rollout and Pell enrollment data lags

Target Learners¶

• High school seniors, particularly students of color and students from low-income backgrounds

Target Learning Goals¶

• Increase FAFSA completion and submission and access to financial aid for postsecondary enrollment

Claims¶

• State accountability systems that rank schools on FAFSA completion are perceived to penalize schools whose students pursue non-college pathways [~W]

Related Strategies¶

• Five state recommendations for implementing universal FAFSA policies equitably

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Sayda Martinez-Alvarado. (2025). A Scan of State Universal FAFSA Policies. EdTrust. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED672497