South Granville Wins First in FAFSA Innovation Grant, Thanks to College Adviser’s Efforts
A member of NC State’s College Advising Corps played an important role in helping students complete their financial aid forms for college.
NC State’s College Advising Corps is pleased to announce that South Granville High School has received a First in FAFSA Innovation Grant. Kiera Lindner is the college adviser for the school, where she employed innovative strategies to boost the FAFSA completion rate for the senior class, supported their student community and overcame many pandemic-related challenges.
The completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is a good predictor of a student attending and completing higher education. Students who complete the FAFSA are more likely to enroll in higher education, persist in their college coursework and obtain a degree.
The goal of the FIRST in FAFSA Innovation Grant is to increase FAFSA completion in North Carolina by partnering with high schools to ensure students receive as much funding as possible and to meet its statewide education attainment goal.
At South Granville, Lindner worked to meet students and families where they were — virtual or in-person — across flexible times to facilitate completing the FAFSA. She also leveraged community partnerships, used various methods of communication and helped to demystify the overall process for families. As a result, more than 60 percent of students completed the FAFSA — an 8 percent increase from the previous year.
Learn more about the First in FAFSA Innovation Grants and about South Granville’s strategies on the MyFutureNC Collaborative website.
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