President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will fly to Miami Friday to promote a new administration effort to help high school students apply for federal loans for college.
During a visit to a Miami high school on Friday, Mr. Obama will announce the initiative to boost students’ access to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form. The application is required for students to receive federal student aid, such as Pell Grants.
The president will say that, starting in the fall, the Education Department will work with states to find students who haven’t completed the FAFSA application.
States can then provide help to school districts to make sure those students fill out the forms.
The White House said Mr. Obama’s earlier efforts to promote greater access to student aid have contributed to 33 percent increase in the number of FAFSA forms filed, from 16.4 million in 2008-2009 to 21.8 million in 2012-13.
“Increasing FAFSA completion is just one of the critical efforts the Administration is taking to help prepare America’s students for college and for successful careers,” the White House said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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