Tennessee leads nation in FAFSA application rate
According to the nonprofit, the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), the Volunteer State leads the nation in FAFSA completion. The state reported 75.7% of Tennessee Promise students completed the FAFSA, a record-breaking rate for Tennessee.
'I think a lot of educators try to teach and prepare students for the future, and college, attending college to further that education is one of their pathways beyond high school,' Jason Seay with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission said.
FAFSA is federal financial aid to help students pay for college.
Tennessee typically ranks in the top two or three in the country for its FAFSA completion rate. This year, the TN Higher Education Commission credits the state's 'all hands on deck' approach to its highest application completion rate yet.
'That tremendous network of college access organizations statewide that help students at the high school level, in addition to school counselors, educators, financial aid administrators,' Seay said. 'All that centered around that FAFSA Frenzy Campaign is something we rely on each and every year to become the leader in the nation of FAFSA completion.'
In addition to the state's high FAFSA application completion rate, the Class of 2025 also saw a record-breaking number of students apply for the 'last dollar scholarship,' which covers tuition and other fees for community or technical college that the FAFSA doesn't.
⏩
The priority deadline for the FAFSA for the Tennessee Promise scholarship has passed, but other students participating in different programs still have time to apply for federal financial aid. To complete the FAFSA, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Marva Johnson officially takes over as FAMU President
Marva Brown Johnson, J.D., began her term as the 13th president of Florida A&M University on Saturday. Her first day in office coincided with the university's Summer Commencement Ceremony. Johnson addressed the Class of 2025 during the event. Her remarks focused on reflection, perseverance, and the university's mission to serve future generations. "Let me begin by congratulating the Summer Graduating Class of 2025," Johnson said. "As you cross that stage, take it all in… your triumph reminds us why FAMU exists: to open doors, to transform lives, and to light the path for generations of dreamers and doers." She also recognized the contributions of Interim President Timothy Beard. She thanked him for what she described as leadership marked by calm, credibility, and care. Johnson said she approaches her role with "an open mind, a full heart," and a strong commitment to the university's future. She stated that her focus will include honoring FAMU's legacy while adapting to a changing higher education environment. She referenced the university's founding in 1887 by two professors and 15 students. Today, FAMU is recognized as a leading public HBCU. Johnson described that journey as a reflection of resilience and growth. As president, she said she intends to listen, lead, and collaborate. She also expressed a goal of staying accessible and engaged with the campus community. "My door will be open," Johnson said. "You'll find me on campus, in classrooms, at events, and in the heart of this vibrant community." Marva Johnson closed by encouraging graduates to carry the legacy of Florida A&M into the future. She described the university as a place that helps light the path forward. The post Marva Johnson officially takes over as FAMU President appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Forbes
3 days ago
- Forbes
Fathers In College Face Competing Demands, Unlikely To Seek Help
Male college student with baby stroller at bus stop Fathers in college spend less time caring for their children than student mothers, but they also face different financial pressures, with a much higher percentage saying they are financially responsible for other family members than student mothers. Parenting students account for one out of every five undergraduate college students, according to research from the Urban Institutes SPARK Collaborative, a collaborative project lead by the urban Institute, The Pregnant Scholar and Child Trends. The majority of student parents are mothers, but 30% are fathers, accounting for approximately 800,000 of the more than three million undergraduate student parents enrolled at American colleges and universities. students. In some cases, student fathers face fewer responsibilities outside of college than their female peers, but once you dig into the details, student fathers face distinct obstacles to success in college that require different supports and solutions. What Does the Data Say About Fathers In College? New research from Trellis Strategies, based on responses to their annual Student Financial Wellness Survey, digs into the nuances of parenting father's experience in college, and how colleges and universities can change and improve support to student fathers to ensure their success. Trellis' 2024 SFW survey gathered data from more than 53,000 students enrolled at 104 colleges and universities around the country. The survey has been running since 2018, and in that time, Trellis has surveyed 3.8 million students. This latest report hones in on the responses form the 1,300 student fathers who responded to this year's survey. Similar to their female peers, student fathers tended to be older than other students, and face huge demands on their time. Data from the Spark Collaborative shows that 46% percent of student fathers are 30-39 years old. Student fathers are more likely to be working full time while in college, with 68% working full time, compared to 53% of student mothers. Student fathers tend to spend less time caring for their children than mothers in college, with 44% spending 40 or more hours on childcare each week, compared to 62% of student mothers. This mirrors the general pattern of women shouldering more of the burden for child care than men. But student fathers were more likely to face additional financial pressures than student mothers. Fathers in college were more likely to be providing financial support to a partner or spouse, parents, or other family members. What Challenges Do Fathers In College Face? Even though student fathers face more financial demands, they were less likely to apply for financial aid than student mothers. 'I think this ties into broader trends by gender where men are less likely to complete the FAFSA compared to women. Approximately 26% of our male parents did not complete the FAFSA in the 2024 SFWS.' said Allyson Cornett, the author of the brief, via email. The FAFSA, is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The form is used to determine eligibility for the Pell Grant, the main federal grant program to help students pay for college, as well as federal student loans and Work-Study. Most states and colleges also use FAFSA information to decide eligibility for state and institutional financial aid. Cornett noted that they asked students who did not complete the FAFSA follow up questions about why they did not apply for financial aid. The most common responses from student fathers were a fear of taking out student loans, that they were paying for school without financial aid, or a lack of information. Lower FAFSA filing rates could be seen as a positive at first glance if viewed as part of lower borrowing rates. However, student fathers might be missing out on better ways to pay for college. They tended to rely more on personal savings, current income, and credit cards to pay for college expenses. Federal student loans have much lower interest rates than credit cards, and come with more protections. The choice to use credit versus student loans may actually be harming student fathers, as they will pay more over time than with a traditional student loan. Not applying for financial aid also means some student fathers are missing out on grants and scholarships they would not need to repay. Changes to FAFSA signed into law at the end of President Trump's first term mean college students with children are more likely to qualify for Pell grants than they were previously, especially single parents. Single fathers in college are especially likely to stop out of college, based on research from Aspen Ascend, so increasing the rates FAFSA filing for student fathers could help relieve financial pressure on them. What Support Do Fathers In College Need? Cornett noted that student fathers were generally less likely to seek help compared to student mothers. 'This is in line with the broader data on student fathers from the SFWS 2024 – where we are still seeing high levels of need, but lower utilization of federal aid and other programs. In fact, 72% experienced financial difficulties (compared to 82% of mothers), 48% were food insecure (vs. 55% of mothers), and 54% were housing insecure (vs. 65% of mothers), but rates of public assistance were much lower than their female peers'. As college demographics continue to change, it is increasingly important to ensure that parenting students can enroll, feel at home, and succeed in college. Trellis' data suggest schools need to think about the different types of support students fathers may need in order to succeed. 'Student parents are often treated as a monolithic group – and much of the conversation is focused on student mothers (which makes sense as only 30% are fathers). Cornett emphasized the importance of colleges thinking carefully about which supports fathers in college need that are distinct from mothers, saying that, "when we disaggregate the data… a more nuanced picture emerges. Our findings stress that student fathers, in particular, may benefit from more targeted financial aid counseling and communication, as well as awareness of public benefit programs and other resources available to them. On-campus or subsidized childcare might not be the best solution for student fathers, as evidenced by the SFWS data. This all culminates in the importance of institutions recognizing the diverse and competing priorities student parents face. Their needs differ not only from their non-parenting peers but also across gender lines,' said Cornett.
Politico
17-07-2025
- Politico
The Education Department is shrinking just as Congress upped its workload
'The Department is also following the law and complying with numerous court orders to realign and strengthen the student loan portfolio,' Ellen Keast, deputy press secretary for the Education Department, said in a statement. 'We will continue to deliver meaningful and on time results while implementing the President's OBBB to better serve students, families, and administrators.' Former Education Department workers and Democratic lawmakers are concerned more essential duties will slip through the cracks, most notably the department's new congressional mandate to launch two new student loan repayment plans. 'The Department is requiring many students with loans to change their student loan plan, but those students are unable to do so due to inadequate staff at the Department of Education, while, at the same time, more people are being fired,' Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), the ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, said at a hearing Tuesday. If the department doesn't get the plans off the ground in time, it will just create more confusion and chaos for borrowers, said Melanie Storey, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and a former FSA leader. 'Its really confusing for borrowers,' Storey said. 'It's another barrier of entry for them and disincentive to enroll [in a loan repayment plan] when you have no certainty or predictability about what financing options are going to be available to you.' Now that the mass cuts are solidified, it also renews concerns about the fast approaching launch of the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which had significant delays and technical glitches in previous years. The form already had issues when the department was fully staffed, Gittleman said. Former department staff have said the FAFSA team will have less support now that other employees, such as those in tech support roles that indirectly work on FAFSA, are gone. 'Even though the FAFSA team was untouched by the RIFs, no team operates in silos in FSA,' she said, referencing the Trump administration's reduction-in-force directive. 'Everything is intertwined.' One day after the department fired nearly half its employees in March, students and parents across the country couldn't access FAFSA. Seventy-two employees spent hours on a Microsoft Teams call as part of an effort to fix the issue. The incident was quickly resolved, but many employees questioned whether the agency could handle future technical problems after so many of the other teams that indirectly support FAFSA experienced cuts.
