SANTA MONICA, CA – Applications for financial assistance to the federal college are significantly lower this year, and that could mean fewer freshmen this fall.
Prospective students can complete the free federal student grant application to qualify for subsidized student loans and other grants. FAFSA applications were down 5.8 percent across the country this year compared to the same period last year. According to an analysis of FAFSA data by the Associated Press, approximately 1.72 million students completed the application as of June 25, compared to 1.83 million in 2020.
In February of this year, FAFSA applications fell 10 percent compared to the previous year. But graduation rates rose in the spring when schools were able to hold more FAFSA aid events in schools that were canceled last year due to the pandemic.
A decline in the FAFSA graduation rate could herald lower enrollment in the fall. The 2020 class had 3.7 percent fewer FAFSA requests than the 2019 class; According to the National College Attainment Network, post-secondary enrollment decreased 6.8 percent between 2020 and 2019.
In California, 242,866 FAFSA filings were closed on June 25, compared to 265,252 filings at the same time last year. That is 8.4 percent less. (See how high schools fare in the Santa Monica area below.)
The decline is greater for Title 1 colleges, those where low-income students account for at least 40 percent of enrollment. Graduations from Title 1 high schools were down 8.83 percent, compared with a 3.86 percent decrease in non-Title 1 schools.
In California, completed applications from Title 1 schools decreased 12.5 percent, compared with a 4.6 percent decrease in non-Title 1 school applications on June 25.
Here’s how schools in the Santa Monica area fare with the FAFSA graduation on June 25th. More high schools in the Santa Monica area can be found here. Note: The percentage changes can be influenced by a relatively small difference in degrees, especially for smaller schools. FAFSA data only counts for students 19 and under.
School: Santa Monica High
Neighborhood: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Un
Parish: Santa Monica
- Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 485
- Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 487
- Percentage change: -0.41
- Title 1 Status: Not Title I across the school
FAFSA application for the 2020-21 academic year ends on June 30 at 11:59 p.m. CT, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Many states and universities have their own grant application deadlines. In recent years there has been a push for students to complete the FAFSA earlier in their senior year.
Editor’s note: This list was automatically generated using FAFSA data analyzed by the Associated Press. Students over 19 years of age are not included in the federal high schools count. Information is not available for all schools. Schools with fewer than five degrees are not included in the data. Please report bugs or other feedback to [email protected].
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