As graduation looms, students are encouraged to fill out FAFSA
By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register
As the calendar turns to a new year and high school graduations are quickly approaching, it brings to the forefront what’s involved in planning for the future, especially related to the decision to go to college and all that entails. Most notably, that’s filling out the FAFSA and securing student loans to pay for it.
This is where people like Sarah Beaman, the college and career coach at area districts, enter the picture. In this role, Beaman is tasked with assisting students and families in completing the FAFSA. She also helps students plan for their futures through work-based learning activities, informs them about job outlook and employability skills and educates them about the financial side of paying for and affording a college education.
When it comes to the FAFSA, which Beaman noted is part of the “puzzle” in getting ready for college, an estimated $3.75 billion in Pell Grants was left unused in 2021 by students not submitting a FAFSA. The completion percentages have dropped in recent years, leaving some students “feeling a little lost.”
This feeling of being lost coincides with other concerns students and parents have when it comes to filling out the FAFSA. It can be a cumbersome process and some, according to Beaman, simply “don’t know how to get started.” Couple that with a lack of knowledge about what financial records will be needed and how to even access them or start the conversation about relying on student loans in the first place, then you have a situation where students are ill-informed to make quality choices about college as a future endeavor.
There is also an “intimidation” factor involved in filling out the FAFSA, as Beaman stated. But she also noted “It’s not so bad once you get started.”
One way to get started, specifically for students, is to reach out to Beaman. She can help students know and understand their available options, but Beaman is also able to highlight other programs that are available tuition-free once students complete their FAFSA. That includes the Last Dollar Scholarship, which Beaman described as “an amazing opportunity for recent high school grads to get training in a high demand career.”
While filling out the FAFSA is an option for students, there has been a marked shift recently toward moving students away from the trap of student loan debt and into work study or apprenticeship programs. This is not something Beaman disagrees with, however, remarking that her presence in high schools is “to help make sure students have the support in place to make good decisions for their futures and our community vitality.”
“Part of community vitality is filling jobs in our own communities. Filling out the FAFSA is a great way to understand what all opportunities are available to you,” Beaman added.
Of greater concern is the end result of filling out a FAFSA: college and the repayment of student loans. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 25 percent of all FAFSA funds are federal loans and those federal loans make up the bulk of the aid acquired. Additionally, in 2022, the average federal student loan debt was $37,358. Collectively, over 40 million Americans share $1.75 trillion in student debt.
Moreover, according to the Student Financial Wellness Survey from 2021, 75 percent of students are less confident that they will be able to pay off their student loan debt once they finish school, while 41 percent find the total amount of their current debt “overwhelming.” So, it begs the question, is filling out the FAFSA a worthy endeavor?
According to Beaman, it remains so, despite the recent negative attention paid to student loans and transition to less costly career pathway options.
“The rhetoric about how/when to send students to college has changed dramatically. Regardless, it is completely dependent on the career a student would like to pursue. For some careers, going to college could be the perfect fit. We know that it is extremely important to help our students access work-based learning experiences early so they can experience what they do or do not want to do after high school,” Beamn said.
“The FAFSA does not implicate the need for any loans, but provides the information so that students can weigh their options and chose whether or not they’d like to accept free financial assistance,” she added.
The first step to a successful post-secondary future for students, according to Beaman, is to talk to their college and career coaches, who “live, breathe and speak” the programs and work-based learning like it’s a second language.
“Filling out the FAFSA does not mean you have to go to college, nor does it mean you need to take out loans. It provides you with more information about your available options,” Beaman said.
