
For many students, financial aid makes college or training after high school a realistic goal. And when higher education feels attainable, students are more likely to pursue it. This new graduation requirement will give students an extra push to apply for financial aid. Louisiana adopted a similar policy in 2017. Afterward, the percentage of students completing a financial aid application rose from 51.2% to 77.1%.
This toolkit provides milestones, action items, and supplemental resources to support your campus’ financial aid completion strategy. Keep reading to learn:
- About Texas’ new graduation requirement
- How to build your support team
- How to get the right training
- How to conduct outreach
- How to provide hands-on guidance
- How to manage and report student progress
Understand Texas’ new graduation requirement In 2019, House Bill 3 introduced a new graduation requirement for Texas students. Beginning with the 2021–2022 school year, students must take one of the following actions to graduate:
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*Note: Please keep in mind that being selected for FAFSA verification does not impact a student's completion of the graduation requirement. The requirement is met when the student submits the FAFSA and it is processed by the U.S. Department of Education. There are three ways students can decline the graduation requirement:
School counselors have an important role ahead of them. Think about how you can use the opt-out agreement to start discussions about plans for after high school with students and their families:
For a full description of House Bill 3 and the new graduation requirement, visit the Texas Education Agency’s Financial Aid Requirement page. Here, you can learn about rules that apply to your work. You can also access the financial aid opt-out form and see its requirements. The page also includes data-reporting policies and procedures. |
Build your support team You need a solid support team, whether you’re hosting a weekend financial aid event or working with students during class time. With defined roles and responsibilities, your team can ensure that every student gets what they need to complete their application. |
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When building your support team, tap into the following resources:
Resource spotlight: Looking for more ideas on how to build and engage your support team? Check out NCAN’s FAFSA resource library. |
Get the right training Financial aid training is crucial for a successful completion initiative. You’ll need the right training, and so will your support team. School staff, community partners, and even students can help with outreach, guidance, and follow-up efforts if they feel equipped to do so. |
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Keep your training plan reasonable by focusing on these topics:
Be sure to check out the Texas OnCourse Academy, a free professional development resource for Texas school professionals. The Academy offers self-paced learning modules on both the FAFSA and TASFA. They’re designed to help you support students as they complete and submit their financial aid applications. Consider providing different training formats to make it easier for your support team to get involved. For example, you can try out one of these ideas:
We know you may be short on time this school year, so think about partners who can support your training efforts. For example, every year the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce organizes and leads FAFSA training for both school staff and community volunteers. This gives school counselors more capacity to focus on other support areas. |
Conduct outreach To ensure that your financial aid completion efforts are successful, conduct outreach with students and their families. They should understand why financial aid matters and how to get help throughout the application process. |
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Financial aid isn’t a one-time discussion. Spread the word about why it’s important and how to apply early and often. The following suggestions can help your messaging get the broadest reach:
Resource spotlight: Federal Student Aid’s Financial Aid Toolkit has information and resources to support your outreach efforts. |
Provide hands-on guidance Students are more likely to complete a financial aid application when they have hands-on guidance. Try to meet students and families where they’re at by providing support opportunities during and outside of school hours. |
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Consider a few ways your campus can work with students and families on the financial aid application process:
As you get ready to support students and families through the financial aid process, keep in mind where they’re likely to need assistance:
Tip: Make sure students use personal email addresses instead of school email addresses to create their FSA IDs. They will need access to the email account after they graduate from high school. During your event, it also helps to have resources available to answer students’ and families’ frequently asked questions:
For more event prep support, download or bookmark Texas OnCourse’s Financial Aid Event Planning Guide. |
Manage and report student progress School counselors and districts must report on which students meet the graduation requirement. Reporting should indicate whether students have submitted a financial aid application or the signed opt-out agreement. |
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Each school district and open-enrollment charter school will need to provide proof that students have completed and submitted the FAFSA or TASFA. One or more of the following methods should be used:
Protecting student privacy
As mentioned, there are several ways that school counselors and school districts can provide proof that students have completed and submitted a FAFSA:
School counselors will also want to track students’ TASFA progress throughout the school year to ensure they receive the support they need. Consider integrating these best practices for TASFA tracking into your data management plan:
Bookmark or download the Best Practices for TASFA Tracking infographic to share with colleagues and other members of your support team. Managing and reporting opt-out forms |
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Resource Library
Need help getting your financial aid completion initiative off the ground? The following resources can help.
Understand Texas’ financial aid graduation requirement
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Build your support team
Get training
Conduct outreach
Provide hands-on guidance
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