January 31, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
The TN Promise Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filing deadline is quickly approaching.
Saturday, February 1, 2020 is the final day for both TN Promise high school and college students to complete the 2020-2021 FAFSA to retain scholarship eligibility. The FAFSA, a federal application, is the primary financial aid application that any student enrolling in post-secondary must complete in order to determine state and federal scholarship and grant qualifications.
“tnAchieves strongly encourages all students, regardless of post-secondary plans, to file the FAFSA as soon as possible,” says Amanda Schneider, tnAchieves Senior Director of Communications. “The FAFSA is directly correlated with increased college enrollment and completion. Completing a FAFSA creates opportunities for students as it allows a student to access federal and state aid.”
Not only has Tennessee’s college going rate increased to nearly 63 percent since the implementation of TN Promise, Tennessee has become a national leader in FAFSA completion over the past five years. This is in large part due to increased communication and intentional support.
“Local communities continue to come together to assist students in successfully completing FAFSA and enrolling in post-secondary,” says Krissy DeAlejandro, tnAchieves Executive Director. “School counselors, K12 administration, college professionals, state agencies and local non-profits have aligned to offer critical support as students and families begin and complete the financial aid process. This alignment is crucial to ensuring student success and college completion!”
For TN Promise eligibility, high school seniors and current TN Promise college students must complete the 2020-2021 FAFSA no later than February 1, 2020. The FAFSA is found at www.fafsa.gov.
For assistance in completing FAFSA, students and families may contact tnachieves@tnachieves.org. For more information, please visit www.tnachieves.org.