State launches free program to help students apply for college financial aid

FAFSA completion down in Rappahannock by 13%

Earlier this week Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said the state will provide free assistance to high school students applying for college nancial aid. According to a press release from the Governor’s O ce, completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, have declined over the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

At Rappahannock County High School, FAFSA completions have declined by 13 percent, slightly more than the state average of 10 percent. As of March 12, 2020, 31 students had completed a FAFSA compared with 27 students as of March 12, 2021.

Roughly 4,300 fewer Virginia high school seniors have completed the FAFSA in 2021 compared to last year. And in school divisions with high concentrations of low-income students, completions are down 33 percent, three times the state average.

“The FAFSA is the rst step in helping Virginia students qualify for thousands of dollars in state and federal grants and scholarships,” said Governor Northam in a statement. “Completing the FAFSA can be di cult under normal circumstances, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and shi to remote learning have added to the challenge of assisting our high school seniors with lling out their forms. This free one-on-one advising service will support our goal of ensuring every eligible student in our Commonwealth completes an application, and open the doors to a ordable higher education and technical training for even more Virginians.”

From March 22 through June 30, 2021, free one-on-one assistance will be provided to students and families through a partnership between the Virginia College Access Network and the State Council for Higher Education for Virginia. Students can go to virginiacan.org/fafsa to schedule a virtual appointment with an advisor.