A bill working its way through the Indiana Statehouse may require all high school seniors to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Indiana’s FAFSA completion percentages are relatively low at 58% while other states sit at around 80%, according to Indiana State Senator Jean Leising.
Leising says that Indiana students are losing over 70 million dollars of potential scholarships and grants. She says the low percentage of students who fill out the FAFSA may be due to a lack of information provided to families and students.
“They’re missing out on various types of assistance that would help them fund their higher education," said Leising.
If a student decides they don’t want to proceed to higher education, then their parents can sign a waiver to not complete the requirement. In other circumstances, even school principals can waive the requirement.
Leising says that not completing FAFSA means missed opportunities to both seniors and parents.
“There are many opportunities that are missed—there’s a lot of kids out there and a lot of families that would benefit from this," said Leising.
The House Education Committee is expected to vote on the bill this week.