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Iowa College Aid Uses Grant Funds to Expand FAFSA Filing Program • Iowa Capital Dispatch

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Iowa College Aid Uses Grant Funds to Expand FAFSA Filing Program • Iowa Capital Dispatch

The Iowa Department of Education has received $276,000 in federal funding to support the efforts of the department and partner organizations to help more students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

With the help of $276,000 in FAFSA Student Support Strategy funds from the U.S. Department of Education, the Bureau of Iowa College Aid has expanded its Summer Transition Associate program and supported partnerships with nonprofit organizations and college and career counselors to encourage completion of the FAFSA, according to a press release.

“We are grateful for this federal investment to expand the Department’s critical work supporting Iowa students and families as they complete the FAFSA and overcome the challenges they faced during this application cycle,” Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow said in the release. “Along with schools, postsecondary institutions and community partners, we will continue to support students as they pursue their unique path to postsecondary success.”

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Iowa College Aid has doubled its summer transition staff to 21, some of whom are bilingual. The high school counselors are on staff and work in communities across Iowa during the summer to help students and families navigate the college-going process, the release said, and the program has been expanded with the funding to focus more on FAFSA completion.

According to the Educational Credit Management Corporation, which administers the FAFSA Student Support Strategy grants funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the Iowa College Access Network also received funding.

Both families and universities have faced problems and delays with the new FAFSA, which launched months later than normal in December 2023. Students faced glitches and sometimes struggled to understand complicated language and changes in the form, and institutions received incorrect data, some of which is still awaiting correction.

According to the National College Attainment Network, nearly 47% of Iowa students in the class of 2024 had completed the FAFSA as of Aug. 2. That’s a decline of more than 10% from last year.

“We were proud to provide additional summer support to Iowa’s Class of 2024 with the critical step of completing their FAFSA and continuing their education,” David Ford, director of the Iowa College Aid Bureau, said in the press release. “The 2024-25 FAFSA cycle has been challenging for many, and this assistance will support local efforts and completion opportunities across Iowa.”

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