Supporting FAFSA® Completion

Students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are statistically more likely to apply to, attend and graduate from college, but millions of dollars are “left on the table” each year because students do not complete it. Educators are in the perfect position to support and encourage FAFSA completion, which is why we developed the FAFSA Completion Portal.

Complete the 2024-25 FAFSA

Student and parents can now complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2024-25 academic year. Recent changes to the federal financial aid system mean more students than ever may qualify for federal need-based aid, including the Pell Grant. To access financial aid, students and parents need to complete the FAFSA.

While there have been delays with this year’s FAFSA and the resulting financial aid offers, students should not let those delays deter them from pursing their college and career dreams and getting all the financial aid they’re eligible to receive. An important first step to completing the FAFSA is getting an FSA ID, which is a username and password for your account at StudentAid.gov.

If you have any questions or need help completing the FAFSA or obtaining your FSA ID, contact Mapping Your Future at feedback@mappingyourfuture.org or 1-800-374-4072.

Complete the FAFSA

FAFSA COMPLETION PORTAL

The FAFSA Completion Portal provides school representatives in participating school districts information about the FAFSA completion status of their high school seniors. Specifically, members of the FAFSA Completion Portal will see a list of their enrolled seniors and the FAFSA completion status of each – either “Complete”, “Not Filed” or “Incomplete”.

The portal also provides an indicator showing if the students have been chosen for verification as well as month and date of birth. Completion data is updated in the portal weekly. Knowing the completion status of your seniors helps you determine who you need to spend additional time with to ensure FAFSA awareness and support the application process. Don’t let your students miss out on financial aid opportunities for college.

Enter FAFSA Completion Portal

Interested in Joining the FAFSA Completion Portal Membership?

If your high school is not currently participating in the FAFSA Completion Portal, but you would like to learn about joining this free membership, submit your contact information in the form below. Membership will require school district superintendents to sign data-sharing agreements before school representatives have access to the FAFSA Completion Portal. Note: financial information is not available on the FAFSA Completion Portal, nor can representatives see to what school(s) a student submitted their FAFSA.

Portal Membership Interest Form

FAFSA COMPLETION DASHBOARD

Follow the FAFSA Completion Dashboard to see completion rates across South Dakota over time. The interactive dashboard tracks progress of high school seniors completing the FAFSA and measures change year over year.

More Educator Resources

Schedule a Financial Aid Event
Completing the FAFSA
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Teacher Leadership Academy
College Prep Checklists
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