Columbus Promise adapts to student aid changes

Driving the news: The Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA) is typically available to complete on Oct. 1 for the following school year.

• But the 2024-25 application just soft launched this past weekend, following a major overhaul Congress approved in 2020.
• The form is a prerequisite for many scholarships — including the Columbus Promise, which enters its third year this fall.

Why it matters: Experts nationwide worry the delay could hinder vulnerable students who'd benefit most from receiving help.

• More than 70% of Columbus Promise recipients are low-income students of color.

Catch up quick: The free-tuition program covers six semesters of part-time or full-time course work at Columbus State Community College, including books, for graduating Columbus City Schools (CCS) seniors. It also connects them with internship opportunities.

• It's a $9.5 million initiative, with $4.5 million funded by donors, $4 million by the City of Columbus and $1 million by Columbus State.

By the numbers: The number of CCS graduates enrolling at Columbus State each fall has more than doubled with the program in place.

• The first Columbus Promise cohort, the class entering in 2022, had a retention rate of 51% entering its second academic year — comparable to the overall average for part-time students, according to a Columbus State spokesperson.

Zoom in: To keep participation strong, counselors in Columbus high schools are connecting with seniors as they return from winter break to assist with FAFSAs and promote the program.

• That includes staff from I Know I Can, a local college access group.

What they're saying: Shannon Taylor, assistant director of college advising and partnerships for I Know I Can, tells Axios it's an "unnerving time" as everyone adjusts to the changes.

• "A lot of the students we work with need additional support in completing some of these things and walking that path to college … so we need to make sure that we're well-versed."

Between the lines: The new form has significantly fewer questions, uses a new aid calculation formula, and may be periodically unavailable because of ongoing maintenance, Axios' April Rubin reports.

What we're watching: The class entering in 2024 is the final cohort supported by the Columbus Promise's first fundraising phase. Expansion plans haven't been announced yet, but last month a city council spokesperson told Axios to "stay tuned."

• "... we've heard loud and clear from community members, from parents, from the scholars that the program needs to continue and to expand," says council President Shannon Hardin. "So, we're working with our partners to see how we can continue to keep our promise to our young people."

🎓 Bonus chart: Columbus Promise students' top majors