Concerned about the potential for another year of declines in college enrollment, especially among groups including students of color and those from low-income families, officials at Massachusetts schools are exploring ways to encourage high school seniors to complete financial aid applications.
Discussion at a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting keyed in on completion rates for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, a key indicator of interest in attending college.
Matt Deninger, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s acting chief strategy and research officer, said that 90 percent of students who fill out the FAFSA by March 15 end up enrolling in college, compared to 70 percent for those who wait until after March 15 and 30 percent for those who do not complete it.
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