On the heels of Financial Aid Awareness Month in New York, we are excited to share our updated Financial Aid for College: High School Toolkit and relaunch our statewide FAFSA Challenge to keep the momentum going — both as part of our New York FAFSA Completion Project, a statewide campaign to encourage public high schools to increase the proportion of eligible students from low-income backgrounds who complete the FAFSA.  

Following the challenges students experienced with the Better FAFSA last academic year — especially for students who already face significant barriers to accessing higher education — changes to this year’s application cycle suggest a smoother process. 

Here are a few resources for school staff, students, and families as the financial aid application cycle continues this academic year.   

Resource: Financial Aid for College: High School Toolkit  

Extensive research shows that high schools can make a significant difference in helping college hopefuls who are from low-income backgrounds, immigrants, and first-generation college students complete the FAFSA and other state financial aid applications.  

Our Financial Aid for College: High School Toolkit offers guidance for high schools to support students in applying for financial aid options in New York State, such as the NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and the NYS DREAM Act that help students from low-income backgrounds and undocumented students obtain grants and scholarships. 

The toolkit also contains helpful information about any new changes to the FAFSA application since last year and answers to other frequently asked questions about financial aid forms and eligibility. 

Resource: New York FAFSA Challenge Rules 

Based on successful efforts in other states, EdTrust-New York’s FAFSA Completion Challenge is designed to positively recognize high schools for high FAFSA completion rates and for improvements in FAFSA completion rates in each of New York’s OSC Economic Regions. A total of 12 awards will be made and will consist of $750 granted to each winning high school to provide a scholarship to one of its students. View the complete challenge rules here. 

Resource: New York FAFSA Completion Interactive Data Tracker 

Our New York FAFSA Completion Tracker is updated with data on completion rates across the state as of April 2025. This interactive data tool helps users see the estimated percent of high school seniors who have completed the FAFSA in the 2024-25 school year by region, district, or school. School staff can view how their schools are performing as contenders in the New York FAFSA Challenge.