EdStat: School Districts with Higher Child Poverty Levels Have Lower FAFSA Completion Rates—About 3 Percentage Points for Every 10-Percentage-Point Difference in the Child Poverty Rate

FAFSA season has just ended. This year, as every year, many students who are eligible for aid will have failed to complete the form. One might think that Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates would be highest in school districts with the greatest need, but a recent National College Access Network (NCAN) study found that school districts with higher child poverty levels have lower FAFSA completion rates—in the realm of 3 percentage points for every 10-percentage-point difference in the child poverty rate. To learn more, read “FAFSA Completion Rates Matter: But Mind the Data” on the EdNext.org blog.

—Education Next

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