Resources
The College Cash Campaign
THE NEED
- FAFSA is the only way to unlock the Pell Grant, other federal financial aid, all state financial aid, and most institutional and community-based financial aid.
- The FAFSA Completion rate in Michigan for the 2019-20 year was 51.9%, compared to 52.5% in the 2018-2019 year.
- Michigan currently ranks 29th out of 50 states in the percentage of high school graduates filing the FAFSA.
- FAFSA completion rates are lower, on average, in high-poverty districts than in low-poverty districts. Michigan left over $100 million in unused federal financial aid on the table last year.
- In Michigan, approximately 51% of students are eligible for Pell Grants, meaning almost 27,000 seniors who may have been awarded a Pell Grant did not receive one.
- The average Pell Grant awarded to a student in 2018-19 was $4,271, meaning Michigan left nearly $120 million in federal Pell Grants untapped.
- Ninety percent (90%) of high school seniors who complete the FAFSA immediately enroll in postsecondary education programs, compared to 50% of those who do not complete the FAFSA.
- Low-income seniors are 127% more likely to enroll in postsecondary education directly after high school, compared to peers who do not complete the form.
THE CHALLENGE
Governor Whitmer challenged all Michigan high schools to set a bold FAFSA completion goal, select a FAFSA champion, and systematically track data on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completions. High schools accepting the challenge should sign up for the College Cash Campaign, which will provide the resources necessary to support high schools working to prioritize FAFSA completion. The goal of the College Cash Campaign is to increase Michigan’s FAFSA completion rate to 75%.
THE FAFSA TRACKER
The College Cash Campaign FAFSA Tracker provides accessible data for schools to better understand their current FAFSA completion landscape and progress with the College Board Opportunity Scholarship (CBOS) steps. The FAFSA data displayed on the tracker is provided by MIStudentAid within the Michigan Department of Treasury. The CBOS data on the tracker is provided by the College Board.
Through the FAFSA Tracker tool, all College Cash Campaign sites will have access to an individual school profile displaying current FAFSA completion data, trends over time, and a comparison to previous FAFSA completion cycles, in addition to CBOS data. The Tracker is a great tool for school counselors to track their school’s progress and to easily highlight the successes.
Schools are highly encouraged to submit a Data Use Agreement to MIStudentAid to access the MISSG Portal. The MISSG Portal provides access to student-level data on FAFSA completion and allows counselors and school administrators to identify students who may be in need of additional support.
INCENTIVES
Schools registering to participate in the College Cash Campaign are eligible for incentives. Entities reaching the FAFSA completion rates below will be provided items to celebrate the work done and encourage a continued dedication to the work.
- 60% FAFSA Completion – Stress balls for students
- 65% FAFSA Completion – Tribute from the Governor’s Office
- 70% FAFSA Completion – Gift card for counselor
- 75% FAFSA Completion – FAFSA award
WINNERS
- 3 overall winners
- 10 geographic winners