FCAN Blog
A Historic Early Start: Florida’s First-Look FAFSA Dashboard Tracks Class of 2027 FAFSA Completions
The 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened Sept. 23, 2026, the earliest launch in the program’s history. The early start gives Florida students and families more time to complete the application, plan for education after high school and learn...
Central Florida is United for Tomorrow’s Workforce
What is a 10% increase in college enrollment worth in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties? Try $1.2 billion per year. That was the finding more than 100 education, business and government leaders came to hear on Sept. 10, at “Higher Education, Higher Rewards in...
Key Takeaways from ‘Osceola Prosper … and Beyond: Inside the Rise of County-Funded Last Dollar Scholarships’
When Osceola County announced that every graduating senior could earn a certificate or associate degree without paying tuition, students were in shock. “No one believed it at first,” said Osceola County Commission Chairman Brandon Arrington. Many come from families...
Key Takeaways from ‘FAFSA and Workforce Pell’ Webinar
Florida’s high school Class of 2026 completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at the highest rate FCAN has ever recorded. At the same time, Florida has begun implementing Workforce Pell, an expansion of the federal Pell Grant program. Since July...
Miami-Dade Makes the Case for Its Future Billions
“Talent is a human being. Our job is to connect that human being to opportunity.” Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega set the tone for Talent Strong Miami with those words on Sept. 2, as dozens of community, education, and business leaders gathered for a...
Applications Open for FCAN’s 2026-27 Student Fellowship
The Florida College Access Network (FCAN) is now accepting applications for its sixth annual Student Fellowship, a statewide opportunity that empowers college students to build their civic engagement and communication skills while championing policies that expand...
FCAN’s College Ready Florida Statewide Initiatives in Action
The Florida College Access Network’s (FCAN) four statewide initiatives – Plan It Florida, Apply Yourself Florida, Florida FAFSA Challenge, and College Decision Day – share one goal: keep students at the center of the process. Each initiative, under the College Ready...
School Districts Doing Well in Career Dual Enrollment Have Three Things in Common
In Wakulla County, more than a third of students participate in career dual enrollment, a program that lets them earn college credit and industry certifications before graduation, at no cost. In 15 Florida districts, no students do. That gap is the subject of a new...
In Jacksonville, Level Up Gives Students a Head Start Before Fall
Most of the work that goes into getting a Florida high school student to college happens during the school year. What about the summer? Level Up, a boot camp offered through JAXUSA Partnership’s Earn Up initiative in collaboration with Florida State College at...
Key Takeaways from “2026 Florida Legislative Session Recap” Webinar
The Florida Legislature adjourned sine die March 13 after passing 237 bills in its 60-day session. Lawmakers returned to Tallahassee for three special sessions: congressional redistricting, property taxes and the state budget. On Monday, June 29, Gov. Ron DeSantis...