MILWAUKEE— A national shortage of high school students completing their FAFSA has educators concerned and taking action.

The FAFSA, or the Federal Application for Student Aid, is the primary avenue for prospective college students to receive additional monetary support through the federal government.

The National College Attainment Network reports startling numbers for educators.  FAFSA completion has dropped 6.1% across the country this year, compared to last academic school year.  

In Wisconsin, that increases to an 8.6% drop.  In the Badger State’s high-minority high schools, FAFSA completion has dropped 17.7%.  In the Milwaukee School District alone, the number increases to a decline of 26.9%.

“I just don’t think they’ve filled out an application ever before that’s this lengthy and that’s asking this type of information,” said Marcus Montgomery, a college advisor at Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education.

Nevaeh Jeanes is a high school senior at the same school in Milwaukee.  Montgomery helped her complete her FAFSA.  She lives independently and would not have had help otherwise.

“It helped me a lot,” she said.  “It was very quick.”

Ericca Pollack is the MPS district’s College Access Coordinator.  She said the pandemic has affected FAFSA completion as well.

“The ability to fill out that FAFSA early is one of those areas,” she said.  “We know for many students, they haven’t changed their post-secondary decisions, but some of those processes have been delayed.”

Virtual FAFSA help has been provided, Pollack said, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic when MPS remained closed.  Walk-in FAFSA hours were held for two weeks in April, specifically so high school seniors could meet with an advisor to complete the form.  They happened at every high school within the MPS district.

Pollack said as MPS re-open, those walk-in availabilities will continue throughout the spring and summer.

High school student Amira Cooper took advantage of those walk-in hours.

“Since COVID, everything is done from home when usually things are done from this room,” she said.  “As seniors, we would come here and get help from our teachers.”

Cooper adds completing the FAFSA from home became an uphill battle, due to confusion and not enough opportunities for assistance.

“You might get confused, or you might type the wrong things,” she said.  “I highly recommend if you can come get her in person, do that.”

Cooper plans to attend Alverno College in the fall.

The deadline to complete the FAFSA for the 2020/2021 school year is June 30.  The federal government gives students a deadline after the school year for which they need aid.