City, education and economic leaders want to improve Tulsa’s FAFSA completion rate after only about half of Tulsa’s high school class of 2015 finished one.
According to ImpactTulsa, that equates to roughly $15 million in federal financial aid left on the table. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is required for grants and most scholarships.
"And studies show that if high school students actually fill out FAFSA, they're 30 percent more likely to go ahead and enroll in postsecondary education," said ImpactTulsa Executive Director Kathy Seibold.
Brett Campbell with the Tulsa Regional Chamber said the FAFSA can be challenging to complete, but several local institutions have advisors that will help, freeing up students to pick a college.
"And then, ultimately, the big decision that we want students making early in their college career is what is going to be my major," Campbell said. "Because once they decide on that major, once they see that pathway to graduation, we know that we're going to be able to stronger hit the workforce needs of our region."
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said those academic and career achievements are good for the entire city.
"There is no greater indicator of a city's viability and long-term success than the perception of educational opportunity in that city," Bynum said.
FAFSATulsa.com is ImpactTulsa’s website with resources to help families complete the application. ImpactTulsa, the Tulsa Regional Chamber and the City of Tulsa want to increase the completion rate 8 percent this year and are pushing that through a friendly competition among local schools: the FAFSA February Frenzy.
