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WSAC reports near‑goal FAFSA completion after spring campaign push
Summary
WSAC staff reported the statewide FAFSA/WASFA completion campaign has driven strong gains: nearly 43,436 completions toward a 46,000 goal, increased participation of target schools and new outreach tactics including micro‑grants, trusted‑messenger events and a FAFSA leaderboard.
WSAC briefed the council on progress in the statewide financial aid completion campaign, reporting that the agency has driven a large uptick in FAFSA/WASFA submissions through targeted outreach, regional partnerships and a spring 'Your Future Funded' push.
"As of today ... we have almost 43,436 past completion, out of our 46,000 goal," Isaac Quachie (S12), deputy executive director, said during the presentation. Amy Keltner (S17), senior director for policy and programs, described data‑driven strategies used to concentrate support on high‑need schools — including micro‑grants to expand capacity, multilingual outreach and partnerships with community groups, credit unions and sports teams for visibility and in‑person help.
Keltner highlighted a measurable lift from the coordinated campaign: during the campaign period completion rates rose by 9% over typical windows and spiked 24% during the governor‑declared Financial Aid Completion Week. Staff told the council that 201 schools have met an internal target of improving Free/Reduced Lunch student completion by six percentage points compared with the prior cycle, and that regional partnerships remain central to closing persistent gaps.
Council members asked about next steps to convert completed applications into enrollment — not just forms filed — and staff said they are building follow‑up enrollment analytics and one‑on‑one student supports to reduce "summer melt." WSAC asked council members to leverage their networks to increase partner recruitment and to support the continuing 'It's Not Too Late' summer outreach.
