"We Know That Every Student Is a Priority": The Implementation of a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Completion Policy

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Views of Policy Implementation From Those on the Ground (Table 36)

Abstract

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) provides access to financial aid for college/vocational school but funds often go unused due to numerous barriers disproportionately affecting low-income families of color. In order to address this, a Northeastern urban district passed a mandatory FAFSA completion policy in 2021-22. In this mixed methods study, we draw from contemporary education policy implementation theory to explore the implementation and impact of the policy in its first year. Findings suggest that key implementers were unclear on the rationale for the policy, lacked support and training and continued to hold onto deficit views of who they considered to be “college bound”. However, completion rates did improve particularly for low-income Latinx and first-generation students.

Authors

• Elisabeth Kim, Lehman College

• Bernard Lombardi, Rutgers University - Newark