Greene Early College High School wins FAFSA challenge
RALEIGH, N.C. – Greene Early College High School has been awarded a $500 grant as a winner of the 2021 North Carolina First in FAFSA Challenge. The school earned first place in the cooperative innovative high school category with 29.7% growth in FAFSA completions compared to 2020. The FAFSA Challenge is part of myFutureNC’s efforts to close the state’s educational attainment gap. The nonprofit is leading the state’s educational attainment goal of ensuring 2 million North Carolina adults hold a college degree or high-quality certification by 2030.
Federal financial aid gained through completion of the FAFSA creates a path to college for many of Greene’s students.
“FAFSA completion is important because it provides students with access to financial aid and other scholarship opportunities to help fund their post-secondary education,” said Arriana Harris, Greene’s school counselor. “FAFSA completion is essential to our students and community because it provides students and families with the tangible resources that make college more accessible to them.”
To encourage students and families to complete the application, the school hosted FAFSA events and invited financial aid officers from the local community college to provide parents and students with one- on-one assistance with completing the application. It also hosted a College Application Week raffle in which students were given the opportunity to win prizes for completing the FAFSA, residency determination forms and college applications.
“FAFSA completion is a leading predictor of whether or not a student will attend college and graduate,” said Cecilia Holden, myFutureNC’s president and CEO. “The 2020-2021 school year was difficult for students and teachers, but schools across the state stepped up to the challenge by not only encouraging students and families to complete the application but also assisting them with what can sometimes be a difficult process.”
The $500 grant will support Greene’s future FAFSA completion efforts and assist the school with the development of its college-going culture.
Nearly 500 North Carolina schools participated in the 2021 FAFSA Challenge. Participating high schools competed among similar schools by senior class size and location, in two categories: overall FAFSA completions and FAFSA completion growth.
View a complete list of 2021 FAFSA Challenge winners. In the coming days, myFutureNC will launch the 2022 FAFSA Challenge.
