Advocacy Timeline
- February 2021: Alabama Possible joins high school educators at the State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting to advocate for completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be added to the high school graduation checklist.
- March 2021: Alabama Possible initiates a statewide letter-writing campaign urging state leadership to understand the importance of high school students completing the FAFSA to access critical financial aid for postsecondary pathways.
- April 2021: Alabama Possible joins student leaders and educators in calling for prioritizing the FAFSA so that students can access critical aid at the SBOE meeting.
- April 2021: After the state passes the FAFSA policy, Alabama Possible calls on state leaders to invest in high schools supporting seniors with the new graduation task.
Advocacy Wins
- April 2021: The State Board of Education approved a resolution requiring every graduating senior to complete a FAFSA.
- October 2021: Governor Ivey declared October as FAFSA Completion Month to encourage students to complete this critical application.
- September 2022: Alabama’s Class of 2022 ranks ninth in the nation for overall FAFSA completion and second in the nation for year-over-year change in FAFSA completion, the state’s highest rankings ever. Notably, schools that are designated as low income and high minority witnessed greater year-over-year increases than their higher income and lower minority peers.
- September 2023: Alabama’s Class of 2023 has another successful FAFSA cycle, ranking eleventh in the nation for overall FAFSA completion.