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AB469

Financial Aid Application

Requirement

Webinar

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Victoria Viksne

CA Student Aid Commission

schoolsupport@csac.ca.gov

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What is AB 469?

FAFSA/CADAA Requirement

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AB 469 – Need to Know

Ed Code 51225.7
Beginning in 2022-2023 school year, every high school senior must complete and submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) or complete and submit an opt-out form.
Opt-out forms are collected and retained by the school-site.�

FAFSA/CADAA requirement in schools

CSAC Memo
CSAC Opt Out Template (Text of Proposed Regulations)
Future Home of Opt Out Template

Quick links

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The California Student Aid Commission is ALL IN for FAFSA/CA Dream Act

What is

All In for FAFSA/CA Dream Act?

High schools, continuation schools, and school districts (Local Educational Agencies) will ensure that all seniors in California complete a FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application (CADAA)

Unless student has formally submitted an opt-out waiver

Starting in 2022-2023 Academic School Year

Goal of "All In" is to expand access to financial aid to thousands of students who may have otherwise not been aware of these opportunities

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The goal is to encourage all students to apply by educating students and families about the benefits of applying for aid

The opt-out form must be completed by:

Pupil who is 18 years or older

Legal guardian or parent

Legally emancipated pupil

Local educational agency on a pupil’s behalf

Remind students not to “opt-out” of the opportunity to receive financial aid. Visit our “All In for FAFSA/CA Dream Act Application” page.

Model Opt-Out Form

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Make sure your students take the 1^st step

Beginning October 1^st, students can submit a financial aid application

Remember to always talk about and promote both the FAFSA and the California Dream Act Application when communicating with students or parents

10:05-10:15 (Slides 3-8)

Victoria

The first step to receiving financial aid is completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA). We encourage students to apply as soon as possible after the application opens on October 1. These applications allow students to be considered for federal aid (FAFSA applicants only), state aid, institutional aid, and loans. Completing a FAFSA or CADAA provides students and their families with access to an abundance of financial aid options, allowing them to make an informed decision about pursuing college, university, or vocational school. Please remember to always talk about and promote both the FAFSA and the California Dream Act Application when communicating with students and parents.

A big question is why does financial aid application completion matter? One part of the answer is that every year around $550 million is left on the table in federal and state aid if students do not complete an application. This dollar amount was cited in the 2019 report “Hidden Figures: A Framework to Increase Access to Financial Aid” by the Education Trust-West. It was estimated by using multiple data sources to determine the number of students that did not submit an application. Furthermore, a financial aid application enables students from low-income backgrounds to afford higher education and pursue their dreams.

https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/edtrustmain/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/06174845/etw-finaid-framework-r9i10_12.5_rez.pdf

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Why does

AB 469 matter?

FAFSA/CADAA Requirement

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Cost is consistently identified as a barrier to college enrollment

Many students who would qualify for financial aid never apply for it. Only 50% of California seniors completed their FAFSA/CADAA applications. �
Many scholarships require FAFSA/CADAA completion regardless of need.

10:15-10:23 (Slides 9-12)

Spencer

Understanding why this law was enacted is critical.

First, Cost is consistently identified as a barrier to college enrollment. When students believe that they are unable to pay for college, they will likely not enroll even if they would have qualified for loans or grants. This then becomes generational, impacting siblings, and even children, later down the road.

The second part of this is that of the students who would qualify for financial aid, many never apply for it. As you can see here, only 50% of California seniors completed their FAFSA/CADAA applications. This means that millions of dollars in financial aid were left on the table and unused. We can also connect the dots to the first point - this likely also influenced fewer students to enroll in college, believing that the cost was prohibitive and therefore college was not in the cards. You can see that this becomes an unending cycle - a student doesn’t believe that they can afford college, they don’t apply for college and miss out on financial aid, and then college remains unaffordable, confirming the student’s mistaken belief.

This also impacts scholarships that students are eligible for as many scholarships require FAFSA/CADAA completion. Scholarships can be the make-or-break financial aid piece for students, and this is something that can impact all students regardless of need. From merit-based scholarships, to need-based scholarships, to loans, to grants, etc. all of these contribute to financial aid packages that increase the likelihood of enrollment across socioeconomic classes.

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Students are more likely to enroll in college if they believe that they can afford it. �
See HSLS:2009 for additional data regarding views on how perceptions of affordability affects enrollment.

College affordability becomes generational – the higher the parent’s education level, the more likely the student is to consider college to be affordable.

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Equity, Financial Aid, and Enrollment

Students of color make up a disproportionate percentage of those high school seniors who do not apply for FAFSA/CADAA.
Given the strong identification of cost as being a significant factor impacting college enrollment, increasing access to financial aid, will positively impact students and families who have traditionally viewed college as unaffordable despite being otherwise qualified to enroll.
Creating expectations of all students applying for financial aid serves as a universal support, ensuring that students who would have avoided FAFSA/CADAA completion on their own receive the same opportunity as their peers.

Quick Links

Racial Disparities in Financial Aid Completion – Drawing on data collected from each district in California, this report highlights the need for equitable practices in financial aid support.

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How can

RACE TO SUBMIT

help track progress?

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Race to Submit – Need to Know

Aims to increase the number of FAFSA/ CADAA, and Cal Grant application submissions each year
Includes all public schools in California that serve high-school seniors
CSAC Race to Submit Dashboard includes exportable reports, comparisons, and data updated weekly.�

Statewide Campaign

CSAC Race to Submit Dashboard

Quick links

10:23-10:35 (Slides 13-20)

Denise

The CA Student Aid Commission has created the Race to Submit Dashboard in order to keep track of your school’s progress on FAFSA and CADAA submissions and completion.

Aims to increase the number of FAFSA, CADAA, and Cal Grant application submissions each year
Includes all public schools in California that serve high-school seniors
CSAC Race to Submit Dashboard includes exportable reports, comparisons, and data updated weekly.

The Race to Submit provides progress updates of the following data by high school, school district and county on a weekly basis:

FAFSA/CADAA completion and submission rates
Number of Cal Grant applications submitted and completed
Number of students eligible for Cal Grants
Number of Cal Grant awards

The dashboard utilizes graphs in the form of an odometer as well as tables where you can see specific progress for this year and last year, or you can compare them side-by-side.

It is important to understand the difference between submission and completion as many students and families only look at submission.

What is the difference between a submitted and a completed FAFSA® form?

Submitted applications reflect all FAFSA forms submitted by students at that high school.
However, these applications can be subsequently rejected by the Central Processing System if they are missing key pieces of information. The applications that are not rejected are referred to as completed applications. Completed applications are a subset of all submitted applications.
If a FAFSA form is submitted but not complete, the student will receive an email from the U.S. Department of Education asking him or her to correct the FAFSA form. A completed FAFSA form is necessary to determine eligibility for federal student aid and often other forms of financial aid.

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California

2022 FAFSA/CADAA Completion Rate

50%

2021

53%

2022

+3%

2022 FAFSA/CADAA Submitted Rate

53%

2021

57%

2022

+4%

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+4%

+3%

-1%

+1%

California comparison

Classes of

2021 & 2022

2021

2022

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ORANGE COUNTY

2022 FAFSA/CADAA Completion Rate

54%

2021

56%

2022

+2%

2022 FAFSA/CADAA Submitted Rate

57%

2021

60%

2022

+4%

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+3%

+2%

-2%

+2%

2021

2022

2021

2022

Orange County Comparison

Classes of

2021 & 2022

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What’s Your Data?

Go to the Race to Submit Dashboard.�(https://webutil.csac.ca.gov/Dashboard/)
Search your school and or district.

What do you first notice?

What is something you are proud of from the data?

What is a question you still have?

What story does your data tell? How can you change the story?

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Comparing OC and State of CA Data

OC students completed FAFSA and CADAA at a rate 3% higher than that of CA as a whole
OC students have a completed FAFSA/CADAA and matched GPA for Cal Grant consideration at approximately the same rate as CA as a whole
No significant difference between 2021 and 2022 submission rates in OC
When compared to its neighbors, OC is similar to Riverside and San Diego Counties, and slightly behind Los Angeles County

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How can we

implement AB 469?

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How to Implement AB 469

Video: How to Implement AB 469

(this is worth your time!)

Taken from California College Affordability Summit, April 2022
Find It here.

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Hidden Figures

This framework from the Education Trust - West highlights specific processes districts can engage in, in order to start this important work.

Components for Success

Prioritizing Completion Through Policy
Collecting and Monitoring Appropriate Data
Establishing and Maintaining Strong Partnerships
Building Relationships and Trust
Programming with Students at the Center

10:35-10:38 (Slides 21-23)

Denise

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17w7671LhKP2lB6Ma4OX-SQ_-FK2VcrkDrqlHLmT06u0/edit

Components of Success (See report for details)

Prioritizing Completion Through Policy

Decision makers must be part of the process

Collecting and Monitoring Appropriate Data

It begins with 1st GPA upload to be sure you have all your students there. Be sure to share data with all counseling staff and administration.
It’s important to match and look at Webgrants website (utilize the reports to your advantage) CSAC can help you to make the corrections needed (i.e., name changes)

Solution - call late in the day (not during peak times)
Takes a longer time to get through to Webgrants than FAFSA
If I email the list, it gets done faster (can include many inquiries/concerns in the same email)
Call the Spanish support number (they also speak English)

Establishing and Maintaining Strong Partnerships

Chunk into smaller groups - Remind App for free use
10,000 Degrees - financial aid weeks (partner with local high schools) to increase completion (rates doubles in first week) - Bay Area
uAspire - Bay Area - focus on advising students through financial aid process and through college
Use Google Classroom to give a heads up (beginning junior year) - frontloading them with information
In Stockton - strongest partner is the Mayor’s office (created Stockton Scholars program)

Building Relationships and Trust

Direct engagement with families, materials in multiple languages
Stockton - building relationships with families (you get siblings over the years)

Spanish workshop with translation in English
Be sure the resources and directions are available in multiple languages
Train parents to lead workshops in various languages (authentic language speakers)
Hired service corps members who were former students

Programming with Students at the Center

Peer mentoring - teaching students to be leaders and help others
CaliforniaCollleges.edu - easy platform to see everything in one place
Stockton - Spotlight reports sent to parents, looking at opening college savings accounts

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Beau Menchaca

Santa Ana Unified School District

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Best Practices to Increase FAFSA Completion Rate at your School Site

Show Me

the Money!

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Beau Menchaca

School Counselor

Segerstrom High School

Santa Ana Unified School District

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Presentation Objectives

Learn easy and economical strategies to revitalize your financial aid outcomes.

Learn how to mobilize the community, parents, and teachers, to assist in financial aid application.

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Let’s Get Started !

Financial Aid Workshop Dos & Dont’s
Parent Information
Grant Information
Partners & Volunteers

Agenda:

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Parents do not want:

To be talked at
Event to start and end late (non-punctual start and end time)

Students do not want:

To be separated by FAFSA and Dream Act

Parents & Students want:

Final product at end of event
Assistance on financial aid
Services in their native language

NO

YES

Financial Aid Workshop: Dos & Dont’s

Do:

Dispel myths/concerns around FAFSA/Dream Act for undocumented students.
Pre-training for students on FAFSA before the financial aid workshop
Financial aid special circumstances counselor

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Parents:

Ask parents to bring the required documents

Advertise that if they come prepared they can complete their application in one sitting

English & Spanish calls & letters

Promote workshop on social media

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What to do during

Financial Aid Season

Attend one of the CSAC financial aid workshops
Submit the Webrants authorization form in order to track your students financial aid submissions
Submit your GPA report to CSAC
You will need to maintain your senior list - who completed and who didn’t
Divide them by program and counselor
Send list to program partners and ask them to follow up with their students
Send list to partner teachers

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Grant Information

Highlight available grants to students

The District submitted our Cal Grant GPAs (FAFSA and Dream ACT/California Student Aid commission

Middle class scholarship- for education ($2000)

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From October through March of each year, L.A. Cash for College will coordinate over 100 free Financial Aid Completion Workshops at school sites across Los Angeles as part of a statewide campaign to increase awareness of and access to student aid programs. These workshops provide assistance to high school seniors and their families as they complete their federal and state financial aid forms.On, Super Saturday they mobilize volunteers across dozens of locations to conduct simultaneous Financial Aid Completion Workshops.

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Partners & Volunteers

Contact partners and volunteers

Offer an incentive-food (partner/donor to give food) ex. Chick-Fil-A

Parent robo calls- school (principal)/district/elected officials (congressman)

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Thank you for your time!

Beau Menchaca

Beau.Menchaca@SAUSD.us

Office phone: (714) 241-5013

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What are our next steps?

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Why Implement and not Opt Out?

Upside down opt-out/opt-in ratio looks bad.
Over the coming year(s), additional scrutiny and questions around who is opting out
The goal of the work is to increase equitable practices and close the enrollment/achievement gap
All students need to have the opportunity to receive financial assistance for post-secondary options

10:50-11:00 (Slides 36-39)

Spencer

Our teams across OCDE have received a lot of questions regarding the opt-out form. After hearing from Beau about how to implement this, our hope is that the opt-out form is really the exception not the default. The intent of the legislation is to increase college enrollment by way of changing the perception of college affordability; if I can afford this, I am more likely to apply and enroll. The intent is not to generate boxes and boxes of stored opt-out forms. We think it’s important to note a few things about the opt-out process.

First, if your district/school site is upside down - it has more opt-outs than FAFSA/CADAA completions - it will look bad. No way around it.

Second, as this information becomes more prolific, there will be additional scrutiny and questions around it. Questions like who is opting out, and at what rate are specific subgroups opting out, and what did the LEA do to address this, are all possibilities that could be brought up.

Increasing college enrollment for all students is, at its heart, an equity issue. There is still an enrollment gap; there is still an achievement gap, and this legislation is an attempt to address that. However, this legislation is aimed at all students as a means of ensuring that the students who need the additional support have access to it.

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What’s your Action Plan?

What is the first thing you need to do to begin implementation?

Who needs to be involved?

What is your timeline?

What resources are needed?

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Contact Information

Dr. Noaveyar Lee

Coordinator, K-12 School Counseling Services

nlee@ocde.us