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On Friday, Sept. 21, education leaders statewide met at Arizona State University to discuss the importance of increasing FAFSA application completion in Arizona.

FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a form that students can complete to apply for financial assistance such as federal grants, work-study programs and loans.

Education leaders and foundations statewide work to promote the Arizona FAFSA Challenge, which is geared toward increasing FAFSA completion.

鈥淔illing out a FAFSA lets students and their families know what federal money is available to fund a postsecondary education including grants, scholarships, on-campus jobs, student loans and more,鈥� Governor Doug Ducey said. 鈥淭o help high school leaders with this important first step, Achieve60AZ has partnered with my office, the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education and Helios Education Foundation for something we call the Arizona FAFSA Challenge.鈥�

In the 2017-2018 academic year, 43 percent of Arizona high school seniors completed a FAFSA form.

Gov. Ducey鈥檚 said, 鈥淥ur goal this year is to increase that at least 50 percent so that more students can take their education to the next level and be successful in the workforce.鈥�

Why does the amount of FAFSA applicants matter?

鈥淲hat we all need to know is that completion of FAFSA helps predict success in postsecondary education. 90 percent of high school seniors who complete FAFSA attend college directly after high school,鈥� Steven Seleznow, Arizona Community Foundation President & CEO, said. 鈥淲e have clear indication and clear data that completing FAFSA makes a difference.鈥�

Completing FAFSA allows high school students and their families to have a better understanding of their financial options as students take their next steps and pursue postsecondary education.

In addition to providing financial education and assistance regarding postsecondary education, FAFSA has been renovated to become more user-friendly. 聽

鈥淲ith FAFSA and the changes that have been made over the last two years, you can fill these forms out 18 months in advance. You can use it to determine where you want to go to school, I wish I had that. You can do it electronically. Your parents鈥� information is more easily garnered. So, there鈥檚 just a lot of benefit,鈥� Dawn Wallace, Governor鈥檚 Office of Education Director and Education Policy Advisor, said.

In the past, filling out the FAFSA form was viewed as a tedious, dreadful task. Making the application process easier is intended to entice more students to complete the form.

Seleznow added, 鈥淚t鈥檚 been, no doubt, a very rigorous and ugly form to fill out for any family. It鈥檚 been made easier. It鈥檚 going mobile. So, if I were to tell you to do one thing- no matter where you are, no matter what job you have, no matter what you do- mobilize your community around helping every kid who wants to go to college.鈥�

The foundations and leaders promoting the Arizona FAFSA Challenge hope to increase the amount of Arizona high school senior FAFSA applications by getting the community involved.

鈥淐omplete that form,鈥� Seleznow said. 鈥淭hat is one of the most important reforms we can put in place. Fill out the form, and we鈥檒l see college-going rates accelerate like we鈥檝e never seen.鈥�

鈥淚f 90 percent of kids go to college once they fill out a form, let鈥檚 help them fill out the form,鈥� Wallace exclaimed.