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Credit-union branches, food trucks and embedded advisors: partners describe tactics driving FAFSA gains
Summary
Regional partners described tactics driving measurable FAFSA/WASFA gains: targeted incentives (Mariners game), food-truck family events, embedded advisors and credit-union in-branch appointments; STCU said it trained 170 FAFSA ambassadors and runs branch appointments to help families complete forms.
Two partner presentations at the advisory meeting outlined how local outreach and non‑school partners are supporting FAFSA completion across Washington.
West Sound STEM Network and the College Success Foundation described the PREP regional collaboration on the Olympic Peninsula: convenings for district champions, a data dashboard for month-by-month comparisons, one-on-one advising and family-friendly events such as "FAFSA + food truck" outreach. Carrie Ward, executive director of the West Sound STEM Network, said convening district leaders and sharing replicable tactics — leaderboards, classroom posters and college‑and‑career exploration — helped several smaller districts outperform prior years.
"The 1-on‑1 advising has been really critical in helping students and families navigate those barriers," said Molly Schultz, data specialist and project manager at West Sound STEM. Tanner Zard (program director, College Success Foundation) described itinerant advisers who travel between schools and partnerships that combine advising with community supports (childcare, dinner and on-site application assistance) to reduce logistical barriers.
Martie Dickinson, chief community officer at Spokane Teachers Credit Union (STCU), described STCU’s branch-based model: training 170 staff as "FAFSA ambassadors," opening branches as safe, private spaces for appointments and staging in-branch and external events. STCU said it held 38 in-branch FAFSA events and scheduled more than 47 online appointments this year, and that it has assisted over 200 families through direct help and community events. Dickinson also described Launch Northwest, a scholarship endowment partner that has raised nearly $90 million to help close students’ remaining funding gaps once they complete FAFSA.
Numbers and caveats: STCU cited both "217 families" and a slide that referenced "272" assisted families during the meeting; presenters did not resolve that discrepancy during the session. Presenters emphasized that trusted adult relationships and culturally aligned outreach — including language-specific phone calls and targeted Native-American programming — were central to districts that saw the largest gains.
Board members asked for contact details and toolkits to replicate events; partners said contact information and playbooks would be shared. The presenters urged funders and advisory members to consider small, targeted grants to help rural and small districts cover event costs and to simplify pathways for private–public partnerships.
The meeting closed with an ask for continued coordination, follow-up on local graduation requirements that include FAFSA, and a reminder of the Financial Aid Summit and the next advisory meeting on June 2.
