1. How Increasing FAFSA Filing Rates Helps Your Students and Institution
Please to be here today to discuss….
Brandi Payne Cervera, Director, Financial Aid
Judy Hay, Vice President, Student Services
Laramie County Community College

2. OBJECTIVES Understand the FAFSA
Make the case for increasing filing rates
Illustrate impact to students and your institution
How to develop a campaign
Impact at LCCC
Q&A

3. What is the FAFSA? Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Application for all federal Title IV financial aid programs
Hathaway Need and some scholarships require FAFSA to determine eligibility
What is the FAFSA?
Grants, work study, and loans

4. What is the FAFSA? Data collected is determined by Congress
Collects data that you may only be able to obtain from the FAFSA:
First generation, family income, single parent, dependency status, homelessness, etc.
Includes income and assets of parents and student, HHS, # in college, age of older parent, etc.

5. What is the FAFSA?
Assesses family ability to contribute to educational expenses
Federal needs analysis formula determines a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Pell Grant eligibility
EFC’s $0 to $5,328 qualify
Schools determine financial need
Cost of Attendance minus EFC = Need
…in 2017/18
Need represents maximum of amount of need-based assistance.
COA represents maximum aid from all sources.

6. What the FAFSA is NOT? Does not collect race and ethnicity data
Does not require a parent to pay for their student’s education
Data cannot be released unless for specific purpose permitted by law
…only for the application, award and administration of federal, state, or institutional aid

7. Why Increase the FAFSA Filing Rate?
Benefits to the institution
Improves recruitment, retention, and persistence rates
Develop targeted and strategic institutional scholarship programs
Leverage other resources for students to pay for college
Gives you a better picture of your students - first generation, income levels, special populations
Able to request increases in Federal SEOG and Work Study
School is eligible for increased federal administrative cost allowance
There are many benefits of increasing the FASFA filing rate for the school.
Targeted and strategic programs ensure limited funds are going to the students that need it the most.
Allows school to leverage…

8. Why Increase the FAFSA Filing Rate?
Benefits to the student
Provides college access and improves persistence and completion rates
Maximizes financial aid and personal resources
Receive focused attention if special population
If there is financial emergency, appeals can be done quickly
Can help prevent financial emergencies, stabilize student situations
- Helps students plan, work fewer hours, and better absorb cost increases
There are also many benefits to students and families.
…regardless of ability to pay for college…
Allows students more school choices

9. The Difference to Students - Available Aid Programs
Federal Pell Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
Federal Work Study
Federal Student Loans
Federal Parent Loans
Hathaway Need and other need-based scholarships
By filing the FAFSA, a student is considered for the following aid programs…

10. Pell Grant Eligibility based on information provided on the FAFSA
Award amounts determined each year by Congress
$606 - $5,920 for academic year
About a third of all students that file a FAFSA are eligible for a Pell Grant
The amounts listed here reflect Pell Grant amount for two full-time semesters.
Year round Pell was recently restored, allowing students to receive 3 full-time Pell Grants in an award year.
This will accelerate progress to degree completion for students with the greatest financial need.
May also boost summer enrollment.

11. SEOG and Work Study Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
Awarded to students with highest financial need
Work Study
Need-based employment program
Wages do not count as income on FAFSA
Employers work around class schedule

12. Federal Student and Parent Loans
Low interest loans guaranteed by the federal government
Do not have to repay while in school
Generous forgiveness and forbearance options
Flexible repayment plans
Available to students without income or credit. No cosigner.
Available to parents with little or no credit history
Interest is tax deductible

13. Wyoming’s Hathaway Need
Available to Hathaway recipients who have remaining need as determined by the FAFSA
Awards vary based on Hathaway level and remaining financial need
May cover almost all of the student’s remaining financial need

14. EFC HATHAWAY $1680 HATHAWAY $2520 HATHAWAY $3360 $ 1680 Hathaway
$ 1680 Hathaway
$ 5920 Pell Grant
$ Hathaway Need
$ 8575 Total
$ Hathaway
$ Pell Grant
$ Hathaway Need
$ 9205 Total
$ Hathaway
$ Hathaway Need
$11490 Total
1-5328
$ Pell
$ Hath. Need
$ Total
$ 2520 Hathaway
$ Hath. Need
$ Total
$ 3360 Hathaway
$ Hath. Need
$ Total
$ Hath. Need
$ Total
$ Hath. Need
$ Total
$ Hath. Need
$ Total
or no FAFSA
First column is EFC ranges: max pell, pell eligible, non-pell elig with need – middle income, and no-need or no FAFSA
Top row is Hathaway amount. Based on HS GPA and ACT score. Highest achieving students receive 3360.
The lower the EFC and the higher the Hathaway, the greater the total grant/scholarship package.
Walk through top right, middle, and lower rights.

15. The Difference Hathaway Need
Without FAFSA
George receives the lowest level Hathaway of $ This is not enough for George to attend college.
George’s financial aid award = $1680
George and his family decide it’s not worth it to attend college.
With FAFSA
George’s counselor tells him to file a FAFSA as he may be eligible for additional funding. George comes from a low income family.
George’s financial aid award: $8,575.
$1680 Hathaway
$5920 Pell
$ 975 Hathaway Need
George is able to attend college full time.
Next, will provide some student examples to illustrate the importance of filing the FAFSA.

16. The Difference Hathaway Need
Without FAFSA
Carol receives the highest level of Hathaway $ This is not quite enough to cover tuition, fees, and books. Carol’s family covers the remaining cost to attend LCCC.
With FAFSA
Carol files her FAFSA and is middle income (doesn’t qualify for a Pell grant). Carol receives $1240 in Hathaway Need. Carol now has enough to cover her remaining fees and books without her family’s help.

17. The Difference Real Student Example
Without FAFSA
Cole did not file his FAFSA. He applied for and received a $500 scholarship from an outside agency. Cole paid for college using a credit card.
With FAFSA
Cole filed the FAFSA for 17/18. Cole earned $5000 last year and is a single parent.
Cole was awarded $5920 in Pell Grant and $600 in SEOG for 17/18. More than enough to cover tuition, fees, and books

18. The Difference Real Student Example--Leveraging
Without the FAFSA
Jo is a student athlete. The coach thinks she is fantastic and awards a full ride scholarship of $12,306 to cover tuition, fees, books, and housing. Jo is an employee dependent and received a Hathaway. This reduces her athletic award to $7,920. Athletic aid is institutional aid and the student must file a FAFSA.
With FAFSA
Jo files the FAFSA and also receives a full Pell grant of $ The athletic award is now reduced to $ The coach has $10,306 in his budget to award to another student.

19. Developing a FAFSA Filing Campaign
Our website was updated to talk about the FAFSA first.
Here is how LCCC developed a FAFSA filing campaign.

20. Developing a FAFSA Filing Campaign
When awarding aid that does not require a FAFSA (GI Bill, Hathaway, Foundation scholarships), tell the student about the FAFSA.
Our paragraph states:
You may be eligible for additional financial assistance by filing your FAFSA at The FAFSA is required to determine your potential eligibility for Hathaway Need, federal grants, and LCCC grants. The FAFSA is also required if you are receiving any LCCC scholarships (academic or athletic). You may file your FAFSA at If you require assistance, please visit us in the Student Services building.

21. Developing a FAFSA Filing Campaign
Talk about the FAFSA FIRST
Talk about scholarships and grants FIRST
Simplify information
Include the FAFSA in your enrollment steps
Require the FAFSA for all Institutional Scholarships and Grants
Outreach to campus, community, and high schools
FAFSA filing assistance
Presentations on available aid programs, application procedures and deadlines
Variety of methods: seminars, electronic communication, posters, postcards, etc.
FIRST – making it easy to find
Simplify – to make it easy to understand
Require…so that limited funding goes to the right students and need-based assistance is not left on the table.

22. Impact at LCCC More financial aid to more students
Developed a targeted approach for our institutional dollars, spreading them further
Award the most Hathaway Need in the State among community colleges in dollars and number of students
No increase in our institutional scholarship budget in four of last five years
SEOG and Work Study allocations increased
Pell administrative cost allowance $5 per student with a Pell grant

23. Impact at LCCC
Won 2nd place in National College Access Network’s FAFSA filing challenge
$50,000 grant to continue important work for FAFSA completion
Only two-year institution to receive a grant
Cheyenne’s filing rate increased to 57.8%
12.61 percentage point increase in two-year period
LCCC’s FAFSA filing rate is 71.7%
Participating schools helped reverse 4 year decline in national filing rate

24. Thank you! Questions? Brandi Payne Cervera, Director of Financial Aid Judy Hay, Vice President of Student Services