2022 New York FAFSA Challenge Winner:  Lafayette International School

Jul 25, 2022 | Blog

In a weekly series, Ed Trust–NY will highlight New York FAFSA Challenge Winners for the 2021-2022 school year and the promising strategies they used to support more students to complete the FAFSA.

One of Lafayette International School’s goals this year was to improve its postsecondary transition process, including by improving its FAFSA completion rate. As a school that focuses on English language learners who have arrived in this country within the last six years and are at the lowest three levels of English proficiency, nearly all of Lafayette’s students are below the poverty level and are first-generation college goers. The school’s leadership and counseling team spent time creating a strategy at the beginning of the school year for how it could support students in completing the FAFSA. They utilized a college application process through the district’s College & Career Resource as well as a college counselor provided through the Buffalo State College Liberty Partnership Program.

Nguyet, who will receive the FAFSA Challenge scholarship, will attend the University at Buffalo to study nursing. Nguyet arrived to Buffalo without knowing any English, and in just a few short years established herself as an extremely hard worker who also has a passion for helping others. A native of Vietnam, Nguyet has balanced her academic work along with helping her family both here in Buffalo and in Asia with her unparalleled work ethic and dedication to detail and self-improvement. Her desire to enter the medical field was inspired by her experiences helping family and community members.