Dallas-area civic leaders, nonprofit organizations, school districts and institutions of higher education are coordinating in an unprecedented manner to support high school seniors filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA).
Last year, more than half of Dallas County seniors failed to fill out FAFSA or TASFA and missed out on more than $34 million in grants.
Education beyond high school is becoming more important in today’s workforce, and the perceived inability to pay for college is a barrier to students pursuing their dreams. Within the next five years, 60 percent of jobs in the United States will require postsecondary credentials.
Exit surveys show that many of our local students don’t understand the application process used by nearly all colleges and universities to determine financial aid eligibility. By not filing a FAFSA, students have no way of knowing how much college will really cost them and no access to state or federal aid to support them.
Low-income and minority students are the most affected by the lack of awareness about determining financial aid eligibility. Approximately 6,000 Dallas County high school seniors would be eligible for Pell Grants if they just filed a FAFSA form.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings has joined the effort and believes education is vital to the future of the region. “Every student should have access to a quality and affordable education,” said Rawlings. “Students should take advantage of available state and federal dollars.”
Volunteers from North Texas-area institutions of higher education, businesses and community organizations will help high school seniors and their families complete financial aid forms at six workshops. The workshops will take place on February 10, 21 and 28.
University of North Texas—Dallas
7300 University Hills Blvd
Tuesday, February 10
6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Bryan Adams High School
2101 Millmar Drive
Saturday, February 21
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Richardson High School
1250 West Belt Line Road
Saturday, February 21
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Molina High School
2355 Duncanville Road
Saturday, February 21
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Adamson High School
201 East 9th Street
Saturday, February 28
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Dallas Public Library
1515 Young Street
Saturday, February 28
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
To complete the application at workshops, families need to bring their most recent federal tax return, records of untaxed income (if applicable), bank statements and records of investment (if applicable), social security number (if applicable), driver’s license (if applicable) and alien registration number (for non-citizens).
“We are excited that this initiative to help local high school seniors fill out financial aid documents is a community-wide effort,” said Sarah Jensen, Deputy Director of College Access at Commit!. “Trained volunteers will help families and answer questions in English and Spanish.”
More information is available at www.youcanaffordcollege.org
