[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6369601,"mediaKeyId","2154410-cdfa322d87a49617b6c6c2f5e41f209f","parentId",2154410,"title","State unveils weekly FAFSA dashboards; outreach pilot shows gains but data, tracking gaps remain","audioSeconds",1207,"startMs",3309000,"endMs",2102000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2154410-cdfa322d87a49617b6c6c2f5e41f209f&start=3309&end=2102","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2154410-cdfa322d87a49617b6c6c2f5e41f209f/thumbnail_3309000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6369601/Washington/State-unveils-weekly-FAFSA-dashboards-outreach-pilot-shows-gains-but-data-tracking-gaps-remain","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369601-77bb0d8b9e3c6c318d8db6c88a994f63/orig.mp4?Expires=1774980438&Signature=Z~OYRmPJ19BYkYwENNaryYD-NmjuOxkLZK6GCciybMbIhlR4bRytaSpQykKTS-DSAvaBLxvN72viIvO1Dw~ieQbPjVi2hqT-gA0kLVlp121m3EsKadAD-JtUfh3zMKDJ90vwtJILZqMuZXqeVvk2GpEyOFi2d~g349sSIHb59fgF6c9kV5LFfjA8nOVa3AG-R4pvCmiyDI17nDV9yeGc~vBp18Gn5kRhtXZClEFBu90JPQ8dgxbn6DD-u6-nRXLCt-uI-H~Alm04Ns-zxFPeehhLON-NZu2K1IGRGlFR-hnT6spDX2JYpq5pKwi3dPK0x8KNsqcvcukqwm3xm74osA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development","date","2025-01-27T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee heard updates today from the Washington Student Achievement Council and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges on efforts to increase FAFSA completion and financial aid outreach for high school seniors and other Washington residents.

The members were told about a newly launched FAFSA filers dashboard that displays weekly, cumulative counts of Washington FAFSA filers for the current FAFSA cycle, and a FAFSA completion dashboard that reports high school senior completion rates by geography. Joel Anderson, assistant director of external affairs for the Washington Student Achievement Council, described the filers dashboard and said it will be updated for the 2025–26 cycle next month. He said the filers dashboard distinguishes first-time FAFSA filers (no FAFSA in the past 10 years) from returning filers and compares current-week counts with the prior cycle.

Committee members were given context on the two tools. Kara Lawson, associate director for data quality, visualization, and research at the Washington Student Achievement Council, said the dashboards differ by population and measure: the filers dashboard counts all Washington FAFSA submissions while the high-school dashboard reports a rate (completed FAFSAs divided by the number of high school seniors). \"Every Monday, the FAFSA filers dashboard is updated,\" Lawson said, and the high-school dashboard is updated weekly during the academic year. Lawson also noted current data points available on the dashboards: about 95,000 first-time FAFSA filers in the 2024–25 cycle compared with about 100,000 in 2023–24, and a 50% FAFSA completion rate for the high school class of 2024.

State Board and college officials described how the House Bill 1835 pilot embeds outreach specialists in high schools to provide high-touch navigation and case management for students completing financial aid applications. Jamie Troggett, director of student services, K–12 alignment, at the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, said the pilot began with ESD 114 and ESD 123 working with a cohort of community colleges and expanded this year to the Capital Region (ESD 113). \"If we didn't have these outreach specialists, I think we would be in even a worse spot than we are now,\" Troggett said, describing the specialists' work sitting with students on long calls to federal help lines, meeting students outside school hours, and reassuring families.

Officials reported operational results and limits. The outreach specialists served close to 30% more students this year, and pilots showed that intensive, tiered case management is needed: college and high-school partners use a multi-tiered system of supports framework where universal activities cover many students but smaller groups require the specialists' work. Allison (identified as overseeing outreach specialists at Olympic College) said staff spreadsheets show, on average, it takes about three visits for a student to complete a FAFSA. The presenters cautioned that statewide completion fell in the most recent cycle: they reported a 48% completion rate in the prior year and said completion was down by about five percentage points this year, aligning with national trends stemming from federal rollout challenges.

Committee members pressed for technical and operational details. Senators asked whether outreach specialists and college access teams have access to student-level portals; Anderson and Lawson said the council maintains a portal with student-level data for authorized district and community partners but that access requires an approval process. Lawson said high-school senior data come from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and FAFSA records from the U.S. Department of Education; the feed is automated and the dashboard updates weekly, but OSPI\u0000update frequency to the portal may be weekly rather than real time.

Presenters and senators discussed data-tracking gaps and recommendations. College officials said MOUs (memorandums of understanding) that define roles, network access, workspace, and calendaring for embedded specialists were critical to integration and recommended standardizing those agreements to reduce variation across districts. Officials also noted that most districts in their regions are 1:1 on devices and that, when needed, students can use school labs or smartphones to file FAFSAs. Pilot sites continue refining milestone tracking, and one college reported relying on staff-entered spreadsheets to record case-management contacts and milestones; presenters recommended improved CRM-style tools and more consistent data definitions if the program scales.

The presentation included practical next steps suggested by presenters: standardize MOUs, improve interoperability and timeliness of OSPI/portal data, expand marketing and awareness of the pilot, and secure resources to build more robust milestone tracking so outreach specialists spend more time student-facing and less time on administration. Committee members asked staff to follow up on portal update frequency and sharing practices so outreach specialists can intervene promptly when students start or complete an application.

The committee took no formal votes during the work session. The presenters left the committee with the recommendation to continue expanding embedded outreach specialists while addressing data and implementation barriers that limit timely intervention and program evaluation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development - 1/27/2025 10:30 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee heard updates today from the Washington Student Achievement Council and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges on efforts to increase FAFSA completion and financial aid outreach for high school seniors and other Washington residents.","taxTitle","Higher Education & Workforce Development, Senate, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20504,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6369594,"Senate holds public hearing on SB 5321 to expand medication-abortion access at public colleges; testimony sharply divided",1831,2226000,4057000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2154410-cdfa322d87a49617b6c6c2f5e41f209f&start=2226&end=4057","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2154410-cdfa322d87a49617b6c6c2f5e41f209f/thumbnail_2226000.jpg","/articles/6369594/Washington/Senate-holds-public-hearing-on-SB-5321-to-expand-medication-abortion-access-at-public-colleges-testimony-sharply-divided","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369594-995c7da537b4c6a31887129fcfb0c55e/orig.mp4?Expires=1774980438&Signature=FcFKJmA16yNcK7JNXKVRtvWmAfUGNROx7eR1FX~E1WLZhpmvJZu4KfJV2lgEKHPJ5M1VkGJdj-ADcbnNTtblAQcGNG6CsZ9sbE2zoUOZPrVqa-uepmOnhTFHjPTGelEJ0NtKYlNg0nRw-z8QVuE60stelJJROhFqiTctMbWTHJX5mcYV7G-37xOuX4yfPvce0vXG3OeeJzVqgSjQCVpZZ3Nt8YLHSH4c1zjb~0A-D1~PLNYF2ZaU78ESRIIn6P3MRIEtwBbe1qIp5CsXgaYhb5Bl2FD4k8MQuDZ-WJRs27a9zyvFNOJ1JDCwTRz-kHiGxdtMuDN7V-vOrcxDpVkt5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee opened and closed a public hearing today on Senate Bill 5321, which would require student health centers at public institutions of higher education to offer access to medication abortion beginning in the 2026–27 academic year or provide information and referral services if a campus lacks a health center.

Kelly Gunn, staff to the committee, summarized the bill: it applies to six baccalaureate institutions and 34 community and technical colleges and would require institutions with health centers to offer medication-abortion access either through an existing public program or other delivery methods such as telehealth; campuses without health centers must provide referral information. Gunn also noted a partial fiscal note was available and that further analysis including community and technical colleges was underway.

Senator Tawana Nobles, prime sponsor of SB 5321, framed the bill as a matter of students\u0000access and equity. \"Medication abortion is FDA approved, safe, and effective,\" Nobles told the committee, and she argued campus access reduces travel, time and financial burdens on students juggling school and work. Nobles said the bill aims to ensure timely, affordable access on campus or via telehealth and to reaffirm Washington's commitments to equity and autonomy.

Public testimony split along predictable lines. Advocates for Youth and campus organizers described personal and operational barriers students face and urged passage. Charlie Brenner, who described themselves as a former community college student who had an abortion, said campus health centers could remove long-distance travel, lost wages and logistical obstacles: \"Making on campus abortion pills available to students...removes the obstacle course,\" Brenner said.

Sullivan Taylor, a Clark College student and member of Advocates for Youth, said forcing disadvantaged students to carry pregnancies would harm their education; Haley Gray, Washington state coordinator for abortion access at Advocates for Youth, said the bill allows campuses to contract with third parties and draw on existing programs and emphasized that several other states have enacted similar measures.

Opposition testimony focused on moral objections, safety concerns with telehealth or remote provision, and data-privacy issues. Speakers from Students for Life and faith-based groups argued that abortion is not a human right and urged the committee to oppose the measure. Several opponents raised clinical-safety concerns about medication abortion delivered without in-person ultrasound screening and cited isolated instances of adverse outcomes; speakers also warned of possible increased costs associated with post-abortion complications.

Committee members asked technical questions about implementation and compliance. Senators raised HIPAA and FERPA concerns and asked whether telehealth or shared devices could lead to privacy breaches; staff and testifiers acknowledged data privacy issues and said HIPAA/FEPRA safeguards should be considered in guidance. Kelly Gunn reiterated that the bill requires institutions to provide referrals if they lack a health center and that institutions must offer website information on reproductive services including prenatal care and termination options.

The committee timed public testimony and accepted remote and in-person witnesses across multiple panels; no committee vote was taken at the hearing. The record includes both personal testimony describing difficulty accessing out-of-state care and organizational testimony raising policy, privacy and safety questions. The committee closed the hearing and adjourned after taking testimony.","Senate committee heard staff briefing and more than two dozen public witnesses on SB 5321, which would require student health centers at public institutions to provide medication abortion access or referrals; supporters stressed access and safety, opponents raised moral, safety and data-privacy concerns.","actionData","errors"]

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State unveils weekly FAFSA dashboards; outreach pilot shows gains but data, tracking gaps remain

Senate holds public hearing on SB 5321 to expand medication-abortion access at public colleges; testimony sharply divided