Innovative Practices 2021 Grant Winner

Person High School (Person County Schools) provided individual and personalized FAFSA instructions directly to students and families and inspired a generation.

Key Strategies

1-on-1 Support

• Students and families were provided with the opportunity to schedule one-on-one meetings with college advisors.
• Students were notified about their FAFSA status, what steps they needed to take, and what the verification processes meant if selected.

Stories to Inspire

• Current staff members shared biographical stories about “How the FAFSA changed my Life” to inspire students.
• Encouraged more conversations about the FAFSA between staff and students, and reinforced the personalized FAFSA completion messages.

Raffle Drawings

• Hosted a Raffle for students who completed the FAFSA with enticing prizes such as a Chromebook and Fire TV.
• The raffle helped spur students to set up more meetings with their advisor and complete the steps.