Guest post: Helping more students get to college this weekend at College Goal Sunday
2/17/2016
Today we’re thrilled to welcome guest blogger Sabeen Perwaiz, Project Manager for Earn Up, a higher education collaborative organized by the JAXUSA Partnership with a goal of having 60 percent of adults with training certificates or college degrees by 2025.
She’s going to tell you a little bit about a fantastic event happening this weekend to help students go to college. Read on and thank you to all the partners who make College Goal Sunday a reality!
-- Deirdre
Earn Up is partnering with Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), Duval County School District, United Way of Northeast Florida to bring you College Goal Sunday. College Goal Sunday will be held this Sunday, February 21 at FSCJ’s Downtown Campus on West State St.) at the Advanced Technology Center from 1 to 4 p.m.
If you know a high school senior, please encourage them to attend with their parents!
College Goal Sunday is a nation-wide event, held for students and families to have more personalized FAFSA completion assistance and to learn about different financial opportunities. Families will be able to work with advisors in computer labs to answer questions and assist as needed to complete the FAFSA and the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA). Additionally, UNF’s SOAR school counseling students will be meeting in small groups with students and families to share, describe and answer questions about all of the various financial aid resources available for postsecondary schooling. Admission counselors from various local colleges will have tables of information about their school, participants can enter for a drawing to win a scholarship, and even refreshments will be available for attendees.
It is increasingly evident that by 2025, 60% of the job market will require workers to have some postsecondary education. We are currently at 38%.
The importance of supporting completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form (FAFSA) cannot be overemphasized.
Finances can be either the gatekeeper or ticket for students wanting and needing to pursue a postsecondary education (i.e. a career technology certificate, associates, or bachelor degrees).
- A completed FAFSA is the #1 predictor of students pursuing a postsecondary program whether a career technology certificate, associates, or four year program.
- A FAFSA filed, gives 72% better odds of students persisting during the first year in college compared to peers who did not file a FAFSA.
- For those students Pell Grant eligible, the persistent rate increased to 122%compared to peers. (FL CAN)
- Estimate of over $100 million in Pell grant money was not used by the Class of 2013 simply due to not filling out the FAFSA (FL CAN, $100 Million in Pell Grants Left Behind: FAFSA Completion in Florida).
- Last year 38.9% of 12th grade public school students completed the FAFSA.
Did you know?
FCAN’s FAFSA Finish Line data dashboard is a helpful resource to review FAFSA completion data at a school, district or state level.
For more information, please visit earnup.org
-- Sabeen Perwaiz