It’s easier than ever for educators and community partners across Alabama to see how many students at local high schools have the resources they need to pay for college by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Alabama Possible’s new Cash for College Dashboard provides school, district, city, and county-level FAFSA completion information for all public schools in Alabama.
Most Alabama public high school students who complete the FAFSA receive Pell Grants of up to $5,920/year which can be used for technical and academic education programs at 2- and 4-year colleges and universities. The FAFSA is also used to get access to work-study jobs, scholarships, and student loans.
The dashboard allows schools, districts, and the state to compare progress to last year’s FAFSA completion with new visual tools. It also enables comparison among various filters, including location, school size, and low-income rate. It utilizes data from the Alabama Department of Education and U.S. Department of Education. The Dashboard Data Addendum details the dashboard’s sources, limitations and other considerations, and terms. Alabama Possible also published an online tutorial to demonstrate the dashboard’s features.
The dashboard also highlights schools participating in the Cash for College program, which is open to all high schools in Alabama, including public, private and religious schools. Participating schools receive access to professional development, resources, and technical assistance to strengthen FAFSA completion at their school.
To learn more about Cash for College, visit cashforcollegealabama.org.