Nebraska implements universal FAFSA requirements

All Nebraska high school students must now complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid to graduate, under an amendment to state law that goes into effect this academic year.

Interest in universal FAFSA requirements has increased after the failed rollout of a new federal aid form last cycle. Nebraska is one of five states implementing the universal FAFSA this academic year, along with Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Oklahoma, bringing the total number of states meeting FAFSA completion requirements to 12.

According to data from the National College Attainment Network, about 47 percent of high school graduates in Nebraska completed the FAFSA last year, which is just over 10 percent lower than the previous cycle and slightly worse than the national average.

In contrast, several states that had already implemented FAFSA graduation requirements performed significantly better in terms of graduation rates. Indiana, which passed its first year of universal FAFSA during a botched rollout, finished the cycle just one percentage point lower than the previous year. By contrast, Illinois and Texas, the first two states to require the FAFSA for high school graduates, had the highest overall graduation rates of about 60 percent of students.