February is National Financial Aid Awareness month for students seeking to further their education after high school, and Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) is launching a new campaign to encourage students to complete the FAFSA, also known as the Free Application for Student Aid. The FAFSA is administered by the U.S. Department of Education that collects demographic and income-related questions from students to determine if they qualify for federal education assistance. DMACC Financial Aid Director Jerry McKeen says, “Unfortunately, many prospective students and families don’t complete their FAFSA. Perhaps it’s an awareness issue, or they think they won’t qualify for grants or scholarships, but either way, it’s worth the time to complete this form. We hope DMACC’s awareness campaign will let people know that FAFSA is a valuable financial aid tool.” According to DMACC, only about half of central Iowa students complete the FAFSA, and the community college’s campaign “Don’t Hibernate, You’ll Be Late, File Your FAFSA” aims to increase that percentage through student outreach, digital and traditional advertising, and more. The FAFSA completion deadline for students planning to enroll in the Fall ’23 semester at DMACC is July 1, but McKeen encourages students to complete it as soon as possible to qualify for additional funding, such as the All Iowa Opportunity or Last Dollar Scholarships. Many high schools offer FAFSA completion assistance programs. A link to the FAFSA form is included below.
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