Colorado students lost out on nearly $50 million worth of federal financial aid awarded through the Pell Grant during the 2015-2016 academic year — all because they didn’t fill out some forms.
Coloradans seeking higher education have plateaued when it comes to filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, with only about 50 percent of college students completing the form in recent years, according to data collected by the Colorado Department of Higher Education.
“That’s not the best number,” said Stephanie Ricker, academic project manager for the Colorado Department of Higher Education. “We are lagging behind many states in completion.”
The FAFSA application opened for the 2019-2020 school year on Monday. Financial aid experts are all too familiar with students procrastinating in filling out the form, which typically awards money based on a first-come, first-served basis.
