Joint Message from the Oregon Department of Education and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission
Dear Partners,
We are writing to provide several important updates and resources to support your efforts with ensuring that current and future students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA).
First, we want you to know that we share the concern and frustration many of you have expressed about the challenges that students and families are experiencing with the new FAFSA this year. We are here to support you. Thanks in part to the hard work and dedication of our partners, tens of thousands of Oregonians have now successfully navigated the process. We urge you to continue raising awareness about the importance of the FAFSA for Oregon students and prospective students.
For State of Oregon resources to support the 2024-25 FAFSA and the ORSAA, visit the OSAC Webpage on FAFSA and ORSAA changes. You can also find many resources by going directly to the Federal Student Aid FAFSA page here.
Good Reasons to Complete
As you know, the FAFSA (or the ORSAA) is the gateway to unlocking thousands of dollars in financial aid that can help defray the cost of attending college. Because of the changes to the FAFSA formula this year, we project that considerably more Oregon students qualify for the maximum Pell Grant and, if they attend an eligible Oregon school, for the maximum Oregon Opportunity Grant. Thanks to the federal aid available through Pell and recent state investments by the Oregon Legislature, these grants combined now cover up to almost $15,000 of college costs for the lowest-income students attending a four-year university and more than $11,000 for the lowest-income students attending community college. Students may qualify for additional state grant aid through programs like Oregon Promise, the Oregon Tribal Student Grant, and others. Completing a FAFSA or ORSAA is a requirement for all of these awards, and some programs require additional applications, so please see the HECC-OSAC website OregonStudentAid.gov for program details.
2024-25 FAFSA Action Needed - Additional “Contributors”
One of the challenges associated with the 2024-25 FAFSA is that applications may require information from additional contributors (e.g., parents, spouse).
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New for 2024-25, each contributor must enter and complete the form separately, answering only questions that are pertinent to them.
- There are a significant number of applications that have been started but cannot be completed until other contributors finish their work.
Please encourage students and their parents to ensure the FAFSA is completed, signed, and submitted by all contributors. Please also note that according to the U.S. Department of Education, technical issues that prevented students whose parents lack social security numbers from submitting have been resolved.
Additional Federal Resources
From the U.S. Department of Education:
Resources for High School Partners
Federal delays and errors have made this process difficult. As a result, as of April 15, about 21 percent fewer Oregon high school seniors had submitted FAFSAs this year than last. For your individual district’s year-over-year FAFSA data (as of April 15), you can view a spreadsheet from the U.S. Department of Education, and find additional data here. Going forward, you can also monitor your district’s progress using the combined FAFSA/ORSAA reports that will be published on HECC’s website here.
If you are not already participating in HECC-OSAC’s FAFSA+ completion program, please sign up by contacting FAFSAplus@HECC.oregon.gov. This federal-state-district data sharing arrangement allows school employees to know exactly which seniors have successfully completed the FAFSA, and which have not.
If your high school(s) are not already partners in HECC-OSAC’s ASPIRE program, which provides one-on-one support to students as they develop their plans for college or career, please learn more by completing an ASPIRE Site Interest Form or email us with any questions at contactus@aspireoregon.org.
Contact Us
Staff at the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) stand ready to continue supporting your efforts on FAFSA and ORSAA completion. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to PublicPrograms@hecc.oregon.gov if we can provide direct assistance, presentations, or updated information.
Thanks in advance for your support with this important effort.
Dr. Charlene Williams, Director of the Oregon Department of Education
Ben Cannon, Executive Director of the Higher Education Coordinating Commission
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