Free-Falling FAFSAs

From the Wisconsin Policy Forum

Focus #17 • September 2021

The percentage of Wisconsin high school seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) plummeted during the pandemic, which likely signals a concerning trend for college enrollment. The declines hit underserved groups the hardest, eroding previous years’ progress toward closing FAFSA completion gaps.

Amid the chaotic conditions of COVID-19, fewer seniors at Wisconsin high schools filled out a key federal financial aid form, with the number of completions falling by 6.3% from 2019 to 2020 and 12.2% from 2019 to 2021. The declines were greater than the national drops of 3.2% from 2019 to 2020 and 7.8% from 2019 to 2021, according to our analysis of data published by the Federal Student Aid Office at the U.S. Department of Education. Read the full report here.