How Iowa and Louisiana Use State Data to Help Boost FAFSA Completion Rates

Every year, millions of students fill out the Free Application for Federal Students Aid (FAFSA) to access grant aid for college. However, students do not always successfully complete a FAFSA, leaving billions of dollars of unclaimed Pell Grants on the table. Additionally, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, FAFSA completion rates have significantly declined, negatively impacting college enrollment, retention, and completion rates.

TICAS’ latest brief outlines how states like Iowa and Louisiana have successfully used data to define state goals and support initiatives and activities to increase FAFSA completion rates and ensure students are enrolling in postsecondary education.