The statute requires anyone graduating from an Oklahoma public high school to submit the form, which went live on Thursday. As of this spring, 15 states had universal FAFSA completion laws on the books.
But, there are ways around it. If students choose not to submit a FAFSA form and are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must sign this opt-out form. If they are 18 or older, they can sign the opt-out themselves. A school counselor can also authorize an opt-out.
To fill out the form, students or their parents or guardians need to create an account on StudentAid.gov and follow the directions to input identity and financial information. Those who do not have a social security number can create an FSA ID. The FAFSA or opt-out forms must be submitted before students’ graduation.
According to a report from the National College Attainment Network, Oklahoma’s Class of 2023 left more than $64 million on the table in Pell Grant funds by not completing the FAFSA. Pell Grants are designed to assist low-income students and, with some exceptions, do not have to be repaid.
Oklahoma’s Class of 2024 had a 46% FAFSA completion rate, which is nearly 9% below the previous year’s completion rate. The national average completion rate is 53.6%.
Seniors have a shorter window than usual to get their FAFSA forms together this year. After last year’s revised FAFSA form was plagued with problems, the federal government test-launched this year’s form on the typical open date, Oct. 1, to ensure it was free of last year’s technical failures. So far, reviews on this year’s form are positive.
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