Florida After School was in the beginning stages of preparing out-of-school time professionals across the state to host local completion events for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – and then two hurricanes crossed Florida.
The statewide membership organization is dedicated to connecting and supporting afterschool professionals through regular trainings, national standards, innovative tools and resources, and serving as a voice for out-of-school time programs and policies in Florida.
Despite the interruption in activities, the organization had 12 afterschool professionals attend an in-person session and over 50 attend a second session virtually. In partnership with Florida College Access Network, these efforts were funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s FAFSA Student Support Strategy grant administered by the ECMC Foundation.
Creatively, Florida After School even leveraged Halloween themes as the center of their next presentation, “Who’s Afraid of Financial Aid?”, which educated afterschool staff on the financial aid process. This session allowed participants to further expand their knowledge while realizing that FAFSA doesn’t have to be as complicated as they once thought.
“FCAN’s partnership with Florida After School helps deliver access to resources and trainings to those who directly support students,” said Braulio Colón, Executive Director of Florida College Access Network. “This work is important as it allows afterschool professionals to receive information that can ensure Florida students are well prepared and feel confident they’ve secured the financial aid available to help pay for their education after high school.”
As part of the partnership, to encourage afterschool programs that serve high school students, Florida After School offered mini grants to programs that attended the training. Currently, 27 programs have applied for funds to host one or more local FAFSA completion event by the end of the year. With a clear interest in financial topics and growth in the community, the organization plans to continue to support practitioners and students in afterschool and summer programs.