Board of Higher Education Moves to Shore Up Additional Financial Aid for Students

Action has potential to give students $59 million more in federal and state aid

WORCESTER – The Board of Higher Education yesterday voted to call upon all colleges in the 29-campus public higher education system in Massachusetts to add new language to college applications and application-related materials strongly encouraging all students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The new application language is designed to ensure that all students receive the federal and state college aid they are eligible for, such as Pell Grants and MASSGrants. Estimates indicate that if FAFSA completion were substantially increased, students at Massachusetts public colleges would receive an additional $59 million in federal and state grant aid for college each year.

Students and families must file a FAFSA in order to receive federal student aid, most state student aid, and low-cost federal student loans. The policy adopted by the Board calls upon campuses to adopt language in their applications that clearly explains the benefits of completing and filing the FAFSA, asks students to indicate whether they plan to file a FAFSA, and offers information for students to receive help completing the form. The campuses have been asked to implement the new language as soon as is feasible, and no later than June 2009.

According to data provided by community colleges, state colleges and the University of Massachusetts, only 45% of degree-seeking Massachusetts residents who are undergraduates filed a FAFSA in 2006 (the most recent year for which data is available). An analysis conducted by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education estimates that out of this group, more than 16,000 students were eligible for federal and state grant aid but did not receive it because they did not complete the FAFSA. In the 2008-09 academic year, public college students can each receive up to $4,731 in federal Pell Grant aid per year, and up to $1700 in MASSGrant aid, depending on the type of college they attend.

The vote by the Board makes Massachusetts the first state in the country to adopt a system-wide policy across all public higher education institutions urging all students to complete the FAFSA.

“The Department is committed to partnering with our campuses to encourage students and their families to take full advantage of every federal financial dollar available,” said Higher Education Commissioner Richard Freeland. “These challenging economic times underscore the need for students to seek every possible form of financial assistance to help pay for their college education.”

The Department of Higher Education has been working with college officials on strategies to encourage greater completion rates of the FAFSA among Massachusetts students.

“We recognize that completing and filing the FAFSA can be present challenges to families, but it is critical that students not miss out on the opportunity to access federal funds,” said Board Chair Charles Desmond. “We will work with college presidents and chancellors and their staff to ensure students and their families are fully supported throughout the process, and to ultimately realize the benefits of filing a FAFSA.”

The Board’s action today will augment the work that the Department of Higher Education and the campuses currently employs to encourage students to access all available financial aid, including campaigns in high schools and campus-driven outreach efforts.

“In times like these, no student should be leaving money to pay for college on the table,” said Education Secretary Paul Reville. “We’ve protected our state college aid programs from reductions, and the federal government has substantially increased college aid. Students and families should receive every dollar they’re eligible for, and doing that starts with filing the FAFSA.”