New York City’s High School of World Cultures holds a financial aid night with parents to discuss the different types of financial aid students can access.
The school also has a FAFSA night where students and parents can get help filling out the application. The school makes sure that each student checks in with the office to ensure the FAFSA is completed correctly.
Ebrahim, who will receive the FAFSA Challenge scholarship, came to the United States from Yemen.
“Imagine coming from a place where education is the last thing that comes to mind,” he said. “After I came to the United States, my life changed completely. I became determined to be something in the future and help improve both of my communities.”
Ebrahim wants to become a doctor, a profession he believes will allow him to help people in need.
“I hope that with my college experience I will be able to pursue my dreams of becoming a doctor and create a legacy for myself as well as inspire other Middle Eastern people,” he said. Ebrahim plans to study biology at City College.
The school won the Challenge for having the greatest improvement among high schools with fewer than 100 seniors in New York City.
The Challenge was part of The New York FAFSA Completion Project, a statewide campaign launched by Ed Trust–NY to encourage public high schools to increase the proportion of eligible low-income students who complete the FAFSA.
Explore data for each high school in the state, read more about FAFSA completion strategies being used at New York schools, and find additional resources at NYFAFSAChallenge.org.