STCU offers help completing critical FAFSA

In an effort to help high school students prepare for a future full of options, STCU is making an unprecedented effort to help families with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The credit union is offering FAFSA assistance, after hours at STCU branch locations throughout Eastern Washington and North Idaho. An additional 21 opportunities are being offered, with assistance from trained volunteers who are STCU employees.

Completing the FAFSA is a critical step for those who may decide to obtain specialized career training or attend college after high school. Among U.S. states, Washington and Idaho rank near the bottom for percentage of students completing the form.

In response, STCU has opened the doors to its branches for FAFSA events that complement the efforts of school districts and colleges across the region, and education-based non-profits. That includes Spokane-based LaunchNW Foundation, which is working to remove barriers to post-secondary education and training.

Recent FAFSA events by STCU have proven popular. Sixteen families showed up at STCU’s Spokane Valley Branch on Jan. 3, for the first event of the new year. Five families sought help at STCU’s Republic Branch on Jan. 4, representing 20 percent of Republic High School’s class of 2024.

“There so many expectations for families with a graduating senior, and completing the FAFSA is one that can seem intimidating,” said Melody Somday, Community Branch Manager in Republic. “We hear from families that it’s a relief to have someone help them through the process.”

Snowfall forced cancelation of three Jan. 17 events at the Spokane Valley, Coulee Dam and Othello branches; each has upcoming events to ensure family members have the opportunity to receive the help they may need.

A Coulee Dam event has been scheduled for Feb. 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and another on March 6.

Nationwide, the June 30 completion rate is 53.4 percent for 2023, an increase over the previous two years, but still lower than pre-pandemic participation, according to the National College Attainment Network. Washington and Idaho are seeing significant improvement this year, with a mid-year increase of 7 percentage points or more in both states, the network reports.

STCU hopes to help build on that momentum, by opening its branches to assist families with completing the form. The evening events are open to anyone with a student considering vocational training, apprenticeship programs, or college after high school.

Anyone can attend, regardless of whether they’re STCU members. No registration is necessary, and participants need not bring computers or other technology devices. The necessary financial records are listed at stcu.org/fafsa, and on this U.S. Department of Education website.

“We launched FAFSA assistance in early 2023 through a pilot program at a limited number of branches, and the families who attended were grateful for the assistance,” said Traci McGlathery, VP – Director of Community Relations for STCU. “With locations in communities across the region, and community-oriented staff who frequently work with confidential financial matters, STCU is uniquely positioned to help.”

Because the FAFSA form has a reputation for complexity, the National College Attainment Council lists easily accessible help from trained community volunteers as key to increasing FAFSA completion rates. That is particularly true this school year, with a long-anticipated FAFSA revamp, which may cause some confusion among those who have completed the form in the past.

The FAFSA isn’t just for college.

Completing the FAFSA is important for those heading to college, and is a requirement those entering a growing number of apprenticeship or vocational programs. It provides applicants with options for obtaining scholarships, entering work-study programs, and other assistance with costs.

Completing the form is not a commitment to accepting aid or taking any particular course of action. But it can ease the financial burden for those making the transition from high school to their next life step.

In Washington, the high school class of 2022 left nearly $60 million in Pell grants unused, while the number in Idaho was nearly $20 million, the National College Attainment Network reports. That money could have helped graduates learn skills or earn degrees that can stabilize families and take some of the uncertainty out of life.