"On top of the typical anxieties of the college application season, California's high school class of 2025 had some unusual hurdles to clear. First, there was the two-month delay in when the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form was available to students and their parents. Then, devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area that disrupted so many lives."
"But this week, the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) unveiled data suggesting many students hoping for college admission were not discouraged by those potentially daunting circumstances. Public high school students' applications for state and federal aid rose 11% year to year, the commission reported, a partial recovery following the tumultuous and delayed rollout of the 2024-25 FAFSA. That meant an extra 33,300 applications for a total of nearly 340,000 statewide."
"The Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in Los Angeles is among the schools that saw an increase in applications. It's the highest rate of completion that we've had in the last at least five to six years, said Elizabeth Nicho, Camino Nuevo's director of college and career success. We had 99% of our students complete a FAFSA or (California) Dream Act application, which is really good."
A two-month delay in release of the 2025-26 FAFSA, major Los Angeles wildfires, and fears about student data privacy and immigration enforcement created additional obstacles for California's high school class of 2025. Statewide data show an 11% year-to-year increase in public high school students' applications for state and federal aid, adding about 33,300 applications to nearly 340,000 total. Some schools reported very high completion rates, including one Los Angeles charter with 99% FAFSA or California Dream Act completion. Contributing factors include a 2021 law requiring strong encouragement for seniors to apply, targeted regional outreach, and consistent messaging on immigration-related concerns. Financial aid demand remains essential for college affordability.
Read at www.record-bee.com
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