Recently I read an article about how in Minnesota Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion numbers are down quite a bit this fall compared to Fall 2019, for a number of understandable reasons. However, for those of you who have seniors applying to college for fall of 2021, note that an additional fall step for most families should include filling out the FAFSA. A few years ago, the window shifted for FAFSA where it now opens on October 1 for students enrolling in college the following fall, in previous years the window didn't open until January 1. So all our seniors and their parents (both need to fill it out) can complete it now, and since it is based on your 2019 taxes I would recommend getting it done before you have to start worrying about 2020 taxes. The direct link to the US Department of Education FAFSA page is: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
Note that from my perspective seeing more student Common Applications linking me in than in any prior year I am not seeing a drop in college applications so far, and nationally the drop off appears slighter for college applications than for financial aid applications. Of course, college marketing drives you to apply before doing financial aid, but it is smart to get both done now since you can. Feel free to reach out if you have questions about either kind of application.
Here is an article with a more national perspective on FAFSA completion:
