2021 College Aid: How Grand Rapids Area Compares In Application Rates

Grand Rapids MI

30 June, 2021

5:08 PM

Description

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Applications for federal college financial aid are notably lower this year, and that could mean fewer freshmen when classes begin this fall. Prospective college students can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to qualify for subsidized student loans and other forms of aid. FAFSA applications declined 5.8 percent nationally this year compared with the same time last year. About 1.72 million students completed the application as of June 25, compared with 1.83 million in 2020, according to an Associated Press analysis of FAFSA data. As of February this year, FAFSA applications were down 10 percent from last year. But the completion rate increased in the spring, when schools could hold more in-school FAFSA help events that were canceled last year because of the pandemic. A decline in the FAFSA completion rate could be a harbinger of lower enrollment in the fall. The class of 2020 had 3.7 percent fewer FAFSA applications than the class of 2019; postsecondary enrollment dropped 6.8 percent between the class of 2020 and 2019, according to the National College Attainment Network. In Michigan, 49,016 FAFSA applications were completed as of June 25, compared with 54,744 completions at the same point last year. That is a 10.5 percent decrease. (See how Grand Rapids area high schools compare below.) The decline is steeper among Title 1 high schools, meaning those where low-income students make up at least 40 percent of enrollment. Title 1 high school completions dropped 8.83 percent, compared with a 3.86 decrease for non-Title 1 schools. In Michigan, completed applications dropped 17.1 percent from Title 1 schools, compared with a 9.1 percent drop for non-Title 1 school applications as of June 25. Here is how schools in the Grand Rapids area are doing with FAFSA completion as of June 25. See more Grand Rapids area high schools here. Note: Percent changes can be affected by a relatively small difference in completions, especially for smaller schools. FAFSA data only counts students who are no older than 19. School: East Kentwood High School District: Kentwood Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 312 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 351 Percent change: -11.11 Title 1 status: Not Title I schoolwide School: Northern High School District: Forest Hills Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 205 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 200 Percent change: 2.5 Title 1 status: Not Title I schoolwide School: Central High School District:Forest Hills Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 181 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 182 Percent change: -0.55 Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide School: East Grand Rapids High School District:East Grand Rapids Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 161 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 168 Percent change: -4.17 Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide School: Northview High School District:Northview Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 140 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 177 Percent change: -20.9 Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide School: Union High School District:Grand Rapids Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 107 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 117 Percent change: -8.55Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: City Middlehigh District:Grand Rapids Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 98 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 106 Percent change: -7.55 Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: Michigan Virtual Charter Academy District:Michigan Virtual Charter Academy Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 79 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 55 Percent change: 43.64Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: Grand River Preparatory High School District:Grand River Preparatory High School Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 74 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 39 Percent change: 89.74Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: Godwin Heights Senior High School District:Godwin Heights Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 67 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 84 Percent change: -20.24Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: Wellspring Preparatory High School District:Wellspring Preparatory High School Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 55 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 42 Percent change: 30.95Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: Innovation Central High District:Grand Rapids Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 55 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 97 Percent change: -43.3Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: Ottawa Hills High School District:Grand Rapids Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 37 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 40 Percent change: -7.5Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: Ca Frost Environmental Science Academy Middle High School District:Grand Rapids Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 36 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 28 Percent change: 28.57Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy District:Grand Rapids Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 30 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 34 Percent change: -11.76Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: West Mi Academy Of Environmental Science District:West Mi Academy Of Environmental Science Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 16 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 17 Percent change: -5.88Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: Hope Academy Of West Michigan District:Hope Academy Of West Michigan Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 5 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 7 Percent change: -28.57Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide School: Grand Rapids Montessori Academy District:Grand Rapids Public Schools Municipality: Grand Rapids Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 5 Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 7 Percent change: -28.57Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide The FAFSA application for the 2020-21 academic year closes June 30 at 11:59 p.m. CT, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Many states and colleges set their own deadlines for aid applications. There has been a push in recent years to have students fill out the FAFSA earlier in their senior year. Editor's note: This list was automatically generated using FAFSA data analyzed by the Associated Press. Federal high school counts don't include students over the age of 19. Information isn't available for all schools. Schools with fewer than five completions are omitted from the data. Please report any errors or other feedback to [email protected].