Schools with built in coaching help students understand the financial aid process, and this kind of coaching happens during school hours. During the pandemic, those face to face interactions of support did not happen as frequently.
According to this Seattle Times article, so far this year, only 44% of Washington high school seniors have sent in paperwork that could help them get state or federal financial aid for college. It’s the lowest rate on record since 2016, and 4 percentage points behind this time last year.
A rate this low — and this late into the 2021-22 college-going season — suggests a troubling pattern, and may be a harbinger of who winds up in college classrooms this fall and how they pay for it.
Experts feared fewer Washington students would request college financial aid — they’re right. Applications are the lowest yet since 2016. | The Seattle Times