FAFSA Completion in Utah. Issue Brief

Federal financial aid was established under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Since then, changes to the act have increased funding and expanded eligibility for students accessing federal financial aid. While the distribution of federal financial aid has expanded over the last 60 years, untapped financial resources remain every year because students fail to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Since the mid-2000's, the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) and the Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority have assumed an active role in supporting FAFSA completion by developing educational resources for students. However, less time has been devoted to researching current Utah college students in the financial aid landscape. A better understanding of the existing needs of Utah's unique student population may guide Utah policymakers to make more informed decisions. Over the past six years, the percentage of students enrolled at Utah colleges who have completed a FAFSA application has noticeably declined. This trend warrants further investigation as financial aid awards have been shown to increase academic persistence and completion rates. In addition, research has indicated that affordability increases rates of enrollment for recent high school graduates. FAFSA completion is a gateway to accessing many types of financial aid and is integral to increasing affordability for USHE students.