FAFSA form could be Michigan high school graduation requirement

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Published: Oct. 25, 2023, 9:06 a.m.
By Ben Orner | [e-mail]

LANSING, MI – A Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the form for prospective college students, would be required to graduate high school under a bill advancing in the Michigan Legislature.

Senate Bill 463 says students won’t be able to receive a high school diploma unless they completed the FAFSA form, necessary to secure federal grants, work-study jobs and loans. Students can obtain waivers if they’re ineligible to submit a FAFSA or if their parents or guardians do not respond to the school’s efforts to send them the form.

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“In 2023, only about one half of graduating seniors completed a FAFSA in Michigan,” Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Brownstown Township said last week. “… On average, Michigan students are leaving about $100 million in federal aid on the table simply because this form is not filled out.”

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Twelve other states, including Indiana and Illinois, either require FAFSA for high school graduation or are considering it. Graduation rates in those dozen states haven’t been harmed by increased FAFSA completion, Camilleri said.

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I'm torn on this. On one hand, it would be so beneficial for students, but on the other it could be a logistical nightmare. But, if it's working on other states, perhaps it wouldn't be that bad.