(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is pleased to announce its efforts to encourage all District of Columbia high school seniors to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) through its District-wide “FAFSA Completion Month” initiative, which Mayor Muriel Bowser proclaimed February 2015. Each year the FAFSA allows students and families the opportunity to make college a reality despite the rising cost of tuition across the country. With over $150 billion in federal grants, student loans, and work-study funds available, for many District students FAFSA often represents the deciding factor of pursuing a postsecondary education. The application determines a student’s eligibility for additional need-based aid. 

“We know that completing a FAFSA is a critical step to postsecondary enrollment and completion,” said Assistant Superintendent of Postsecondary Education Antoinette Mitchell. “Our students must  be prepared for the fact that 75 percent of District jobs will require some postsecondary education by 2020.”

OSSE has worked in partnership with the District’s public and public charter schools,  Institutes of Higher Education, representatives from the Federal Student Aid Office and College Access Providers to promote the importance of taking advantage of federal student aid. OSSE’s FAFSA Completion Initiative includes the following:

• Launch of the FAFSA Completion Portal – OSSE in partnership with the Colorado Department of Education and the Kresge Foundation, launched an online platform to help DC public and public charter schools determine which of their students have completed the FAFSA. School leaders can access almost real-time student-level completion data to target assistance for students who have yet to complete the application.

• District-wide FAFSA Submission events organized by OSSE for students and parents who need additional help completing the application, which helps colleges and universities determine award amounts.

The events will be held on:

• Saturday, February 28, 2015, 12PM - 5PM at R.I.S.E Demonstration Center, 2730 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE; and 
• Saturday, February 28, 2015, 12PM - 5PM at Latin American Youth Center, 1419 Columbia Rd, NW

A copy of the proclamation follows. For more information about the FAFSA, visit osse.dc.gov/fafsa.