Find out how your high school compares. New mapping tool reveals how Florida high schools fare at completing the FAFSA

More than half of Florida high school seniors fail to apply for free federal grants for college. Why? They never filled out the Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA).

“Only 43 % of Florida public high school seniors completed a FAFSA during the 2012-13 school year. That number is far too low,” says Troy Miller, senior researcher and policy analyst at the Florida College Access Network. “On average, the form takes fewer than 30 minutes to fill out, which is a lot less than most students take to complete an actual college application. This map helps us observe, in a very targeted way, where we can help more students in our state become prepared for postsecondary education.”

Thanks to a new mapping tool released online today by the Florida College Access Network, families, students and educators can view FAFSA completion rates for high school seniors in Florida public schools. Searchable by school name, city, county and zip code, the interactive map also allows viewers to see the school’s proportion of low-income students, its graduation rate and its number of high school seniors.

“College and career readiness goes far beyond academics. Without the necessary financial resources, many students simply can’t afford college. Our students benefit when their schools embrace the financial aid process,” adds Miller.

The completion rates were calculated using data supplied by the U.S. Department of Education and Florida Department of Education. Beginning last year, Florida C.A.N.! began to track the data as part of an ongoing effort to keep tabs on the performance of schools statewide in helping future graduates get on a successful track to higher education.

 



Pin It on Pinterest

Skip to content