Gov. John Hickenlooper urges students to file the FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is students’ ticket to receiving scholarships, grants and work study, but only 48 percent of Colorado high school seniors completed the form last year. Over the last two years, that translates to an estimated $92 million in financial aid left on the table—unclaimed taxpayer money that could bridge the gap for tens of thousands of students.

Colorado can no longer afford to rank toward the bottom in statewide FAFSA completion. That’s why the Colorado Department of Higher Education and Colorado Department of Education are launching the Get Your Piece of the Pie campaign today through March 14, 2019.

We’ve set a goal to raise FAFSA completion by 5 percent statewide, and to get there, we need your help!

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Share the Gov.’s video on social media and encourage students to fill out the FAFSA.
• Download talking points, posters, student handouts and more on our FAFSA portal.
• Volunteer at a school in your district. Schools host FAFSA workshops, financial aid nights and senior rallies year-round. Reach out to a high school near you and find out how you can help!

Why does FAFSA completion matter? 
Completing the FAFSA significantly increases the odds that students will continue their education—especially among low-income and minority students. Studies show that 90 percent of high school seniors who complete FAFSA attend college directly after high school, compared to just 55 percent of seniors who do not complete.  Boosting our FAFSA completion rate will boost our college-going rate, too.

Questions?
For more information, email Academic Project Manager Stephanie Ricker.