Indiana FAFSA Compliance: Turning State Requirements into Student Opportunities

In 2020, only 53% of Indiana high school graduates went on to college to continue their postsecondary path. The state of Indiana recognized this challenge and responded with a significant legislative change in April 2023 with the passing of Senate Bill 167.

As a result of this legislation, every high school senior in Indiana must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to identify access to college or workforce-ready grants. The state commissioner's goal is to have 60% of the graduating class of 2024 complete the FAFSA by the deadline of April 15. This transformation offers students a vital opportunity, but it also presents challenges for high school counselors.

The Impact on Counselors

This new requirement means that school counselors in Indiana must track and ensure each high school senior’s FAFSA completion. This often entails a manual process where students must bring their completed FAFSA forms to their counselors for verification. Additionally, counselors must maintain records and track compliance, which can be overwhelming.

While some online resources exist, like the US Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid site and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education's FAFSA completion dashboard, they do not deanonymize data by student, rendering them less helpful for counselors. Furthermore, parents can sign a waiver to opt out, which further complicates the tracking process.

However, the reality is that the FAFSA requirement is not just another state compliance exercise. It's a powerful step in guiding students toward higher education. To address these challenges, we present an efficient solution.

The Solution: Pathways

At Education Advanced, we understand the difficulties school counselors face in managing their many duties, including the FAFSA compliance process. Our graduation tracking tool, Pathways, was built by educators, for educators. It allows administrators and counselors to create, track, and analyze graduation pathways to ensure that secondary students are on track to graduate and have access to essential financial aid.

With Pathways, counselors can efficiently track their students' graduation pathways, including FAFSA completion, all in one place. Pathways provides a user-friendly platform that simplifies the tracking process. Here's how it works:

• Bulk Email Templates: Pathways offers ready-made email templates that include a FAFSA verification form. Counselors can easily send these templates to all high school seniors, reducing the administrative burden.
• Evidence of FAFSA Completion: The verification form includes a requirement for evidence of FAFSA completion or parental opt-out. This ensures that counselors have the necessary information for each student within the platform.
• Reports for Compliance: Pathways enables the generation of reports that can be submitted to the district, state, or other stakeholders. These reports help track compliance with the new legislation and provide a clear overview of the students' progress.

The FAFSA requirement in Indiana is a significant step in helping students access the education they deserve. Pathways' technology offers a solution for high school counselors to navigate this new requirement efficiently. As educators first, we believe that by simplifying this process, counselors can better support their students on their journey to college, career and life readiness. Together, we can bridge the gap and ensure that more students have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

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About the Product

Pathways empowers high school counselors and administrators in their mission to guide students toward graduation and higher education. Our graduation tracking tool streamlines the FAFSA compliance process, making it more accessible and actionable for counselors. We understand the vital role counselors play in high school students' lives, and we're here to make it easier every step of the way.

About FAFSA

FAFSA is a critical form used in the United States to determine a student's eligibility for federal financial aid programs to help pay for higher education. These programs can include grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities, and federal student loans.

Completing the FAFSA is a crucial step for students and their families who are seeking financial assistance to cover the costs of college or vocational school. The information provided on the FAFSA form is used to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is the amount of money a family is expected to contribute toward their child's education. Based on this EFC, the government and schools determine the student's eligibility for different types of financial aid.

It's important to note that FAFSA is not just for federal aid; many states, colleges, and private scholarship programs also use the FAFSA information to determine eligibility for their financial assistance. Therefore, completing the FAFSA is a crucial step for anyone planning to pursue higher education and seeking financial support to make it more affordable.