Washington Township Schools Awarded Grant to Assist Students with FAFSA Completion and College Enrollment
Washington Township Schools is a recipient of a two-year, $177,750 grant from College Matters, an initiative of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation that seeks to increase college enrollment rates among Marion County high school seniors, especially among students from low-income households who are less likely than their higher-income peers to enroll.
“Through the support of the College Matters grant, we are excited to enhance our efforts in supporting underrepresented students in college attainment and success,” said Jennifer Dodson, District Lead School Counselor for Washington Township Schools. “We look forward to engaging North Central High School students in additional college visits and employing a College Access Specialist who will work in collaboration with the North Central High School College Counselor to support students and families in exploring college options (including college visits and college fairs), applying for college, completing the FAFSA, and more.”
In the spring of 2023, the Indiana General Assembly enacted new laws to address financial barriers to college enrollment, one of which was making the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) a high school graduation requirement. Increasing the FAFSA completion rate will allow more students to connect to the financial aid they need to make college more affordable and accessible.
Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, FAFSA completion is mandatory in Indiana. College Matters awarded grants to allow 26 Marion County public high schools within 14 school corporations and four community-based organizations to assist students and their families in meeting this new requirement. We are excited about the additional resources this grant will help us provide to our students.
Washington Township Schools is excited about this opportunity to expand resources for students, and appreciate the support of our community as we work to ensure all students succeed.
