Governor sends letters to high school seniors encouraging students to complete FAFSA

During National FAFSA Week of Action, letters to be distributed to high school seniors and high school principals urging them to ensure every student is #FAFSAReady

√ Part of Financial Aid Awareness Month campaign to ensure eligible students have access to financial aid

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced letters will be distributed to high school seniors to provide them with helpful tips and resources to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Letters will also be sent to high school principals urging them to make sure each senior student has the resources needed to access financial aid. The mailings are a part of Financial Aid Awareness Month, which Hochul launched at the beginning of this month.

“Far too often, New York students don’t realize the full scope of financial aid that is available to them to help cover the cost of higher education,” Hochul said. “As part of Financial Aid Awareness Month, my administration is conducting outreach to high school seniors and principals to ensure students complete the FAFSA and have the resources needed to access financial support to continue their education.”

Last year, New York’s high school students left over $200 million in federal aid unclaimed by not filling out the FAFSA. The FAFSA is free, and opens the door to federal and state aid, including Tuition Assistance Program and Excelsior Scholarship, as well as other college funding awards. Year over year, FAFSA submission rates are down 24% in New York state.

Students and their families are encouraged to go to https://www.hesc.ny.gov/fafsaready to learn about events and informational services in their community. Students can also follow #FAFSAReady to hear from current college students.

Leaders across the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), State University of New York (SUNY), City University of New York (CUNY) and academic and community organizations in New York are joining the governor in her campaign to make sure New Yorkers take every opportunity to access funding for college.

Each institution continues to host multiple events this month to help students and their families complete the FAFSA or the Dream Act, and Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) applications. Events include information sessions on how to fill out financial aid applications, virtual drop in opportunities to connect with HESC, SUNY and CUNY experts, and discussions about scholarship opportunities for students. A full schedule of events can be found here.

Hochul’s team said, “As part of the governor’s 2024 State of the State, she announced her plan to require graduating high school seniors to fill out the FAFSA form as an effort to boost completion rates. Studies show that students who complete the FAFSA are more likely to go to college. Specifically, 90% of high school seniors who complete the form go to college directly after graduation, compared to just 55% of seniors who don’t fill out the aid application.”

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “Gov. Hochul is fighting to ensure New York's high school seniors complete the FAFSA application. The letters being sent out to high school students and principals are just another step the governor is taking, during Financial Aid Awareness Month, to make certain every graduating senior knows how to complete the FAFSA application and does so. SUNY continues to offer multiple in-person and virtual financial aid sessions to meet students where they are, so they learn about all the financial aid they are entitled to, and make the decision to go on to college, further their education, and better their lives.”

CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, “We greatly appreciate Gov. Hochul's proactive and personalized actions to raise awareness of the importance of FAFSA completion this year. CUNY will continue to work in partnership with the governor and state educational leaders to ensure that every prospective and returning student has the resources and support to access the full range of federal and New York state financial aid, so they can arrive on campus in September prepared to take advantage of every opportunity higher education can offer them.”

HESC President Dr. Guillermo Linares said, “I am immensely grateful to Gov. Hochul for highlighting the crucial role that completing FAFSA plays in unlocking the doors to higher education for our students. Her efforts to ensure students complete the FAFSA or Dream Act application aligns with HESC’s mission to empower and support young scholars in realizing their academic aspirations. Too much financial aid remains unclaimed each year, and our collective efforts can significantly change the futures of thousands of students across New York state.”

New York state has been working to improve the FAFSA completion statistics by training college students to provide in-person assistance with the financial aid application process.

SUNY and CUNY have taken several steps to assist students and their families in applying for financial aid to make college more affordable including:

√ Delaying deposit deadlines at state-operated campuses until no earlier than May 15 and June 1 for commitment day at CUNY campuses, so that families have time to make an informed decision with their financial aid offers;

√ FAFSA information sessions across the state, including FAFSA completion events in Rochester, Buffalo, Yonkers and New York City;

√ Virtual FAFSA completion workshops, held in English and Spanish to help families complete the FAFSA;

√ Working with state partners to develop and promote online resources including print-ready resources for counselors and students to help guide them through the financial aid process; and

√ The launch of the SUNY FAFSA Completion Corps, an AmeriCorps funded program that supports nearly 50 SUNY students serving as near-peer mentors to help students complete the FAFSA;

√ The launch of CUNY Financial Aid Support Team (FAST) earlier this month to help 100,000 students complete the FAFSA. The Petrie Foundation awarded CUNY $1 million for the initiative; and

√ Helping high school students complete FAFSA forms through CUNY’s K16 Initiatives College and Career Advisory Programs

CUNY sent emails to current CUNY students and fall 24 applicants about changes to the form and launched a social media campaign. The university will also host FAFSA completion workshops with admissions. Workshop dates will be posted here.

CUNY campuses have increased financial aid workshops and completion events all spring and have leveraged Federal Work Study funds in partnership with the National Partnership for Student Success to hire students to support financial aid offices. The university will also host FAFSA completion workshops with admissions. Workshop dates will be posted here.