Pell Grant Dollars Left on the Table
In North Carolina, 46% of the high school class of 2021 didn’t complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). As a result, $126 million in Pell Grant awards was left on the table on the table in North Carolina (ranking #6 in the U.S).
Completing the FAFSA is a critical–and complicated–step in the process of going to college, especially for students who need financial aid, including the Pell Grant or NC Assist Loan, to pay for college. For students who completed the FAFSA and met eligibility, the average Pell Grant for the NC graduating class of 2021 was $4,644 which can pay for all or a portion of college costs.
To support all students across NC and reach 2 million by 2030, we must also direct FAFSA and college access support to students and their families, including (but not limited to):
- Students who may be eligible for a Pell Grant
- Students who would be the first in their family to attend college
- Students who didn’t have college on their radar until recently
- Students who have circumstances that make the steps to college difficult
For more information, including a definition of the methodology used: NCAN (2022) Pell Dollars Left on the Table | Tableau Public.
What Now?
To address these needs across the state to reach 2 million by 2030, myFutureNC advocates for:
Statewide Policy Advocacy
- More college access professionals and counselors needed to provide 1:1 support to students and families most in need of help
- Lift up and engage college access programming to boost local efforts, including NC First in FAFSA’s Tracker and Challenge
- Build working knowledge and expand shared learning networks of the steps needed to go to college, including the complexities of completing the FAFSA
Local Next Steps
- Track FAFSA completion progress in your community using the NC First in FAFSA Tracker
- Use the Finish the FAFSA to identify students who haven’t completed the FAFSA yet
- Organize staffing responsibilities so there are people available to provide 1:1 support
- Reach out individually to these students and families by phone to offer support
- Go to where students and families are: classroom, sporting and community events, etc.
- Create a sense of urgency to get to 50% or more FAFSA completion rate by Feb 15th using the student incentive opportunity
- Build rapport and be persistent with students (and families)
- Use Spanish language resources
- Learn how to answer tricky situations and collect and share questions with CFNC regional representatives
- See what schools are doing to innovate: 2021 NC First in FAFSA Innovative Strategies
- Let us know how we can help! Contact NCFirstinFAFSA@myfuturenc.org