Rise in GEAR UP Mississippi FAFSA completions helps Mississippi rank third nationally

Contact: Mandy Scarpulla

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Three Gaining Early Consciousness and Readiness for Undergraduate Applications (GEAR UP) Mississippi faculties—Greenville Excessive Faculty, McComb Excessive Faculty and Meridian Excessive Faculty—elevated completion charges for the Free Software for Federal Pupil Help (FAFSA), serving to Mississippi rank third within the nation as of Sept. 3.

Mississippi faculties have accomplished FAFSA purposes at a 69.1% fee for the 2021-22 cycle, a 4.6% enhance from the identical level final yr. Mississippi’s completion fee stands behind solely Louisiana and Tennessee and forward of the 56.7% nationwide common.

“GEAR UP Mississippi’s partnership with Get2College for FAFSA completion is vital for attaining the grant’s purpose of accelerating the three GEAR UP faculties and the statewide FAFSA completion fee,” mentioned Carol Cutler White, principal investigator for the GEAR UP Mississippi grant and assistant professor of group faculty management at Mississippi State College. “With out monetary support, many college students can not and won’t attend faculty as a result of the choice to attend faculty is determined by funds. With no FAFSA software accomplished, college students can not entry state and federal monetary support.”

Based on Get2College, a program of the Woodward Hines Schooling Basis (WHEF) and a companion with the Mississippi State Analysis and Curriculum Unit (RCU) in GEAR UP Mississippi, Greenville Excessive Faculty’s FAFSA completion fee rose to 73%, Meridian Excessive Faculty climbed to 70% and McComb Excessive Faculty improved to 78%.

“Every little thing we do is research-based and identified to extend the college-going fee of the scholars we serve, together with FAFSA completion, which is a powerful predictor of a pupil’s probability to enroll in faculty,” mentioned Brandi Lyndall, GEAR UP outreach director for Get2College. “Based on our analysis by the Social Science Analysis Heart at Mississippi State College, Mississippi college students who submit the FAFSA are 4 occasions as more likely to enroll in faculty in contrast to people who don’t.”

Via GEAR UP, a nationwide faculty entry program funded by the U.S. Division of Schooling and administered by Mississippi State College, the Greenville, Meridian and McComb college districts obtain help in workers skilled growth and pupil tutorial preparation for school with the purpose of accelerating the variety of Mississippi college students ready to enter and reach postsecondary schooling.

Within the three GEAR UP Mississippi excessive faculties, college students are offered tutorial pupil providers centered on rigorous coursework success; faculty entry pupil providers centered on Get2College postsecondary planning, ACT preparation, faculty software and monetary support software; skilled growth for lecturers and directors; and household and group engagement actions that help pupil tutorial efficiency.

GEAR UP Mississippi companions with Get2College to supply statewide FAFSA completion, ACT take a look at prep and college skilled growth. The FAFSA is required to find out eligibility to obtain federal cash, however particular person schools can also use it for awarding need-based monetary support. The FAFSA additionally determines eligibility for sure state monetary support applications and may be required for personal scholarships and faculty need-based grants.

College students can full the FAFSA at studentaid.gov starting Oct. 1 of their senior yr.

“In October 2020, Mississippi’s Schooling Achievement Council handed a decision to undertake a postsecondary attainment purpose for the state of Mississippi,” mentioned WHEF President and CEO Jim McHale. “That decision established two targets: Mississippi will enhance the postsecondary attainment of its workforce to 55% by 2030 and 60% by 2035. I’m assured that statewide FAFSA completion will assist us meet our targets. WHEF is grateful for the extra monetary assets from our partnership with GEAR UP Mississippi to attain our widespread purpose.”

Go to get2college.org/assets/#fafsa-tracker to view Mississippi’s highschool FAFSA completion charges. The Type Your Future FAFSA Tracker (formyourfuture.org/fafsa-tracker) gives nationwide FAFSA completion charges filtered by state.

In regards to the RCU
Based in 1965, the RCU contributes to MSU’s mission as a land-grant establishment to raised the lives of Mississippians with a deal with enhancing schooling. Particularly, the RCU advantages Ok-12 and better schooling by creating curricula and assessments, offering coaching and studying alternatives for educators, researching and evaluating applications, supporting and selling profession and technical schooling, and main schooling improvements. For extra details about the RCU, go to rcu.msstate.edu or observe the group on Fb (fb.com/rcumsu), Twitter (twitter.com/rcumsu) and Instagram (instagram.com/rcumsu).

About GEAR UP Mississippi
The U.S. Division of Schooling awarded MSU $28 million to help faculty entry by the GEAR UP grant. Through the 2019-2026 grant time period, college students and educators within the Greenville, McComb and Meridian public college districts are receiving focused providers with the purpose of accelerating readiness for school, highschool commencement charges and entry to data on postsecondary faculties, monetary support, profession choices and faculty enrollment. Different grant companions embody Get2College, the Mississippi Division of Schooling, Mississippi Establishments of Larger Studying and ACT.

For extra details about GEAR UP MS, contact MSU RCU Challenge Director Mandy Scarpulla at mandy.scarpulla@rcu.msstate.edu or (662) 325-2510.

In regards to the Woodward Hines Schooling Basis
WHEF is dedicated to serving to extra Mississippians acquire postsecondary credentials, faculty certifications and levels that result in significant employment. Since its inception, WHEF has labored to extend faculty entry and entry for younger folks in Mississippi and has expanded that work to help promising practices that result in faculty persistence and completion. The inspiration envisions a Mississippi the place all folks can safe the coaching and schooling past highschool that may enable them to advance their high quality of life, strengthen their communities and contribute to a vibrant and affluent future for the state.

About Get2College
Get2College, the flagship program of the Woodward Hines Schooling Basis, is dedicated to offering glorious faculty planning providers to Mississippi households to assist college students get to varsity and achieve success. This system gives free, complete assist to plan, put together and pay for schooling after highschool and help for college kids to persist by and full their schooling. Get2College additionally gives direct help to highschool counselors and college-planning coaching to highschool counselors, educators and college leaders.