During the June 28th Leon County School Board meeting, the Tallahassee Chamber team along with local partner, ASPIRE Capital Region presented Amos P. Godby High School with an Achievement Award for their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates during the 2021-2022 school year.
With the help of volunteers over the course of the school year, 62.4% of seniors completed the FAFSA compared to just 18.3% last school year – a 44% improvement. Godby was also recognized by the Florida College Access Network as a Florida FAFSA Challenge Champion.
58% of Florida high school seniors who complete the (FAFSA) qualify for a Pell Grant, one of the largest forms of federal aid available to low-income students.
But Florida ranks 48th in the nation for FAFSA completion.
Florida College Access Network started the Florida FAFSA Challenge in 2015 to encourage all Florida schools and districts to increase FAFSA completion by 5 percentage points over the previous year.
Affordability is the biggest barrier to education beyond high school and the FAFSA is the best way to make education affordable. According to the National College Attainment Network, 90% of FAFSA completers go on to enroll in college directly after high school, while only 55% of non-completers enroll. This year, Godby High School students have earned an estimated $639,352 in Pell Grants.
