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United Way Suncoast launches DeSoto Local College Access Network to boost FAFSA completion
Summary
United Way Suncoast presented the formal launch of the DeSoto Local College Access Network (LCAN) to the DeSoto County School Board, outlining a coordinated, data-driven campaign to increase FAFSA completion and postsecondary pathways for low-income and first-generation students.
United Way Suncoast on Tuesday presented the formal launch of the DeSoto Local College Access Network, or LCAN, to the DeSoto County School Board and described a coordinated effort to raise FAFSA completion and clear postsecondary pathways for students.
The network, United Way Suncoast CEO Jessica Muroff told the board, will operate as “a backbone organization” in partnership with the Florida College Access Network under a memorandum of understanding and with local partners including the DeSoto County School District, South Florida State College, Links to Success, the DeSoto Chamber of Commerce, the DeSoto County Education Foundation, Take Stock in Children Sarasota, the Patterson Foundation, the Selby Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club of DeSoto County.
The LCAN’s first shared goal is increasing completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, Muroff said. “Completing the FAFSA can make the difference between whether a student can afford to pursue postsecondary education,” she said, citing a reported 15.9 percent increase in FAFSA completion in the district year over year—an increase the presentation described as 28 additional students.
Muroff outlined planned activities the LCAN will coordinate locally: hands-on FAFSA workshops, a shared event calendar to avoid scheduling conflicts, targeted outreach driven by FAFSA data, parent-focused information sessions, and recruitment of student ambassadors to promote FAFSA completion. United Way Suncoast also plans a year-round strategic marketing campaign to sustain submissions beyond peak months.
Board member Miss Law thanked United Way and said the district looks forward to working with the new network. There was no motion or vote on the LCAN recorded in the meeting transcript.
Why it matters: The board and United Way framed the LCAN as a cross-sector effort to expand college and career access for low-income and first-generation students by removing procedural and informational barriers to federal financial aid.
Looking ahead: United Way and district partners will use shared data and coordinated outreach to run FAFSA workshops and ongoing campaigns; the transcript did not specify funding, a formal contract, or a board action to adopt the LCAN.
