Tennessee leads the way in FAFSA applications for college money. Keep the momentum going

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) recently announced significant momentum in increasing the state’s college-going rate, highlighted by a 2.4 percentage point increase for the class of 2023 over the class of 2022.

In fact, the state’s 56.7% college-going rate for the class of 2023 represents the largest year-over-year increase since the initial implementation of the tuition-free Tennessee Promise scholarship in 2015.

This college-going rate indicates the percentage of Tennessee’s public high school graduates who seamlessly enroll in postsecondary education immediately after high school.

Increase in college attendance is thanks to efforts from Tennessee leaders

But this big jump did not just happen. In the fall of 2022, THEC worked with partners across the state to launch a special ‘Momentum Year’ to help boost the college-going rate for the class of 2023, to increase adult enrollment in higher education through Tennessee Reconnect, and to improve coordination and alignment in education and workforce training.

It is gratifying to see that those efforts paid off in helping even more Tennessee students and adult learners in the Class of 2023 pursue their dreams and careers with college degrees and workforce credentials beyond high school.

But this work must continue every year to help ensure every Tennessean has the opportunity for college access and success.

Tennessee is helping students apply for FAFSA

That’s why THEC is once again partnering with dozens of education and community partners across the state to launch a special FAFSA Frenzy campaign this month to strongly encourage and support students and families in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - the first step to thousands of dollars in college grants and scholarships - including the Tennessee Promise before August 1.

Although Tennessee students and families already lead the nation in the percentage of high school seniors who have completed this year’s FAFSA, the latest national report shows that just 59.1% of the state’s Class of 2024 high school graduates have completed the FAFSA so far this year. Nationwide, FAFSA completion is down nearly 11 percentage points year over year since this same time last year.

With the delayed rollout of the new FAFSA this year, the Class of 2024 has experienced some unanticipated challenges in completing their FAFSA. Plus many students, especially those who might be the first in their family to even consider college, simply don’t realize they are leaving thousands of dollars on the table in financial aid if they fail to complete the FAFSA.

We don't want anyone to miss out on free financial aid and a lifetime of opportunities that a college degree or job training credential beyond high school can provide.

Students and families can quickly get step-by-step help with the FAFSA application and ask questions at the College for TN FAFSA page. Plus, many community colleges and partner organizations across the state are hosting special in-person FAFSA nights and other help sessions that offer direct one-on-one support. A comprehensive calendar of FAFSA support events across the state can be found at the College for TN events page.

Please join us in encouraging all students and adult learners to complete the FAFSA to maintain Tennessee’s college-going momentum, and most importantly, for the many more opportunities it creates for students and our state. Let’s not leave anyone behind.

Steven Gentile is the executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Higher education in Tennessee: Keep record FAFSA momentum going