This webinar will explore different strategies for data sharing and outreach to students that have driven increases in FAFSA completion in Iowa and Nebraska.
With FAFSA completion now a graduation requirement in Nebraska, educators, policymakers, and community leaders are working to ensure a smooth and effective implementation. This session will provide an in-depth look at Nebraska’s journey to making FAFSA completion mandatory, from legislative hurdles to successful implementation strategies. Attendees will gain insights into Nebraska’s unique public/private collaboration with EducationQuest Foundation, a nonprofit providing free college planning services with a mission to improve access to higher education, highlighting key initiatives, the development of essential resources like implementation guides, training programs, and financial incentives for FAFSA events.
The Bureau of Iowa College Aid at the Iowa Department of Education will discuss how Iowa's automated data-sharing system pushes weekly student-level FAFSA Completion data to all public, and participating private, high schools each week. The session will cover how the statewide system was set up, necessary partnerships to make it happen, and how school personnel are able to utilize these reports, combined with Iowa College Aid's free programs and services to successfully increase FAFSA completion for the State of Iowa.
Presenters
- Elizabeth Yaddof, Community Engagement Consultant, Bureau of Iowa College Aid
- Christina Sibaouih, Section Chief, Community Engagement, Bureau of Iowa College Aid
- Ritchie Morrow, Financial Aid Officer, Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
- Daphne Hall, Senior Vice President, College Access Programs, EducationQuest Foundation
- Regan Anson, Vice President, Communications, EducationQuest Foundation
- Eric Drumheller, Vice President, Grants & Scholarships, EducationQuest Foundation
- Jenny Parks, Ed.D., Vice President, Policy and Research, MHEC (Moderator)