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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chandra Scott | cscott@alabamapossible.org | 205.939.1408

138 Alabama High Schools Win “Best Hustle Award”

Celebrating FAFSA completion rates across Alabama

Alabama (Dec. 14, 2022) – Alabama Possible, a statewide nonprofit that breaks down barriers to prosperity, today announced that 138 schools will receive the Best Hustle Award for successfully improving their early Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion by 10 percent from 2021 to 2022. Early completion is defined as completion during the first two months of the FAFSA cycle (i.e., October and November). Schools that earned this recognition include:

Addison High School
Albert P Brewer High School
Alma Bryant High School
Amelia L. Johnson High School
Anniston High School
Ashville High School
Baldwin County Virtual School
Banks Academy
Barbour County High School
BB Comer Memorial High School
Beauregard High School
Belgreen High School
Ben C Rain High School
Bessemer Academy
Bessemer City High School
Booker T Washington High School (Tuskegee)
Brantley High School
Bullock County High School
Carbon Hill High School
Carver Senior High School (Montgomery)
Center Point High School
Central High School (Hayneville)
Central High School (Phenix City)
Central High School (Tuscaloosa)
Central High School of Clay County
CF Vigor High School
Charles Henderson High School
Childersburg High School
Citronelle High School
Clay-Chalkville High School
Cleburne County High School
Clements High School
Cleveland High School
Colbert Heights High School
Cold Springs High School
Cordova High School
Corner High School
Cullman High School
Daleville High School
Dallas County High School
Daphne High School
Demopolis High School
Deshler High School
Douglas High School
Elba High School
Elkmont High School
Elmore County High School
Escambia County High School
Etowah High School
Excel High School
Fairhope High School
Fort Payne High School
Fruitdale High School
Fultondale High School
Gardendale High School
Geneva County High School
George Washington Carver High School (Birmingham)
Greenville High School
Guntersville High School
Haleyville High School
Hanceville High School
Hartselle High School
Hatton High School
Hayden High School
Hazel Green High School
Helena High School
Hewitt-Trussville High School
Houston Academy
Houston County High School
Huffman High School-Magnet
Ider School
Isabella High School
Jackson-Olin High School
James Clemens High School
JB Pennington High School
Jefferson County IB
Lafayette High School
Lamar County High-Intermediate
Lanett Senior High School
Lanier Senior High School
Lee High School (Huntsville)
Leeds High School
Lexington School
Lillie B Williamson High School
Luverne High School
Madison County Virtual School
Marengo High School
Mattie T Blount High School
McAdory High School
McKenzie High School
Millry High School
Moody High School
Mountain Brook High School
Murphy High School
Muscle Shoals High School
New Century Technology High School
North Sand Mountain School
Oakman High School
Ohatchee High School
Opelika High School
Parker High School
Pell City High School
Pickens Academy
Pickens County High School
Pisgah High School
Pleasant Home School
Pleasant Valley High School
Ragland High School
Randolph County High School
Rehobeth High School
Sand Rock High School
Saraland High School
Scottsboro High School
Shades Valley High School
Slocomb High School
Smiths Station High School
Southern Choctaw High School
Spring Garden High School
Springville High School
Sweet Water High School
Sylvania School
Talladega High School
Tanner High School
Tharptown High School
Theodore High School
Thomasville High School
Thorsby High School
Valley Head High School
Vina High School
Wadley High School
Wellborn High School
Wenonah High School
West End High School
Wilcox Central High School
Wilson High School
Winfield High School
Woodland High School
Woodlawn High School-Magnet

All the listed schools participate in the Alabama Goes to College campaign, which is coordinated by Alabama Possible. Cash for College, a component of the Alabama Goes to College campaign, works with school counselors, career coaches, and other educators at high schools across the state to equip students to continue their education after high school by completing their FAFSA.

This year, 376 Alabama high schools are participating in the Alabama Goes to College campaign. As of early December, more than 13,000 Alabama high school seniors have already completed the FAFSA. High school educators know FAFSA is the gateway to postsecondary financial aid and assist their students in completing this critical task before graduation.

Since the implementation of the state’s first Universal FAFSA policy and thanks to the tireless efforts of educators, Alabama ranked 2nd in the nation in year-over-year percentage change in FAFSA completion for the graduating class of 2022. Even more encouraging, low-income, high minority, and rural schools in Alabama have seen a greater year-over-year increase in FAFSA completion than their counterparts.

“We congratulate our Best Hustle Award recipients and encourage them to keep the momentum going for FAFSA completion as a strategy to removing financial barriers to postsecondary education,” said Chandra Scott, executive director of Alabama Possible.  “It’s encouraging when you see policy and practice come together to create positive outcomes for students.”

Any student seeking federal or state financial aid – including grants, loans, and work-study programs – must complete the FAFSA. The form is often used to determine a student’s eligibility for scholarships and institutional aid also. Most Alabama students qualify for Pell Grant aid of up to $6,895 per year. Students can use Pell Grants for two-year and four-year technical and academic programs. If you want to learn more about the FAFSA and Cash for College, visit alabamagoestocollege.org.

Alabama aims to add 500,000 individuals with valuable postsecondary credentials to its workforce by 2025, and Governor Kay Ivey’s Success Plus strategic plan recognizes the critical role that financial aid plays in making education after high school accessible and affordable.

Alabama Goes to College is a partnership of Alabama Possible and the Alabama State Department of Education, with the support from the Alabama Community College System and Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

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About Alabama Possible

Alabama Possible is a statewide nonprofit organization that breaks down barriers to prosperity through education, advocacy, and collaboration. Since 1993, we have transformed how people think and talk about economic opportunity and educational attainment in Alabama. Our work includes advocacy at both the federal and state level; establishing statewide networks; providing initiatives that focus on postsecondary access and success; and facilitating civic engagement discussions that result in a shift from deliberation to action. For more information, visit www.alabamapossible.org