The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a key indicator of college access and success.

By: Troy Grant, Chief Scholars Officer 

As of April 16, 92% of Ayers Scholars completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), according to internal data, nearly tripling the state’s completion rate of 35% and nearly tripling the nation’s current rate of 28%.  Ayers Foundation Trust school district partners make up 12 of the top 15 performing districts in the state. 

Financial aid is critically important for our Ayers Scholars to attend post-secondary education, with FAFSA being the first step toward removing the financial barriers to attending college. In addition to the federal government, the state also uses the FAFSA to determine Tennessee Promise eligibility and other state scholarships, and all of our colleges and universities require students to complete the form. The majority of the communities we serve are designated economically at-risk and distressed – ranking among the 10 percent most economically distressed counties in the nation. The rankings are based on the unemployment rate, income, and the poverty rate. Many of our students are the first in their families to consider college or any sort of education after high school. 

When the Federal Government delayed the release of the new FAFSA this year, it confused students across the country and sparked a financial aid crisis. According to the National College Attainment Network’s most recent data, Tennessee’s FAFSA filing rate is down 41.8% from this time last year.

While students in Tennessee and around the country are postponing filling out the FAFSA, our counselors have worked overtime to ensure our students continue filing. The federal rollout has been rocky, but it is still a requirement for students to receive financial aid and we encourage all seniors to fill out the FAFSA.

With a little over a month to go before the Tennessee FAFSA deadline, 32 Ayers Scholars Program high schools have achieved FAFSA Champion status, which is a designation of FAFSA filing excellence set forth by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. We are on track for all of our schools to reach FAFSA Champion Status.