BY DANI TIETZ
dani@mahometnews.com
Illinois high school graduates in the class of 2021 and beyond will be required to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or an alternative state form created by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) as a part of their requirements to be eligible for their diploma.
Governor J.B. Pritzker signed H.B. 2719 into effect Aug. 2, 2019. Illinois joins Louisiana and Texas in implementing the policy.
The federal government uses the FAFSA application to determine whether or not a student is eligible for federal grants and loans while colleges and universities also use the information to determine whether a student qualifies for other aid.
Louisiana has required the form to be filled out since 2018. Prior to adopting the policy, only 44-percent of all graduating seniors in that state filed a FAFSA application; that percentage has increased to 79-percent of graduating seniors after 2018.
Currently, only 59-percent of Illinois students complete the FASFA application which ranks the state ninth in FASFA completion.
The measure looks to increase completion rates to ensure more federal dollars are allocated toward Illinois students.
“We want to be the kind of state that makes college affordable so our brightest minds can stay right here in Illinois,” Pritzker said. “Beginning in the fall of 2020, this law will help give students the freedom to choose the pathway that’s best for them — not the path they’re forced down because nobody gave them the information to explore their options. My administration will do everything in our power to make college an option for any student who wants that opportunity.”
Some school districts are questioning how they will ensure the requirement is fulfilled by each student. Within the law, school districts must also provide support or assistance necessary to fill out the FAFSA application.
If the school district deems that a student is unable to meet the requirements due to extenuating circumstances, has provided ample opportunities for the student to complete the form and if the student has met all the requirements for graduation, the student can still receive a diploma.
Parents or guardians can also file a waiver with the school to relieve their child of the requirement.
