Student Specific FAFSA Completion Initiative Survey

The U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid seeks to continuously improve its
interactions with its valued partners in the educational community. To that end, we are
conducting a survey to assess your state grant agencies’ satisfaction with the FAFSA
Completion Initiative and provide you with an opportunity to share any ideas or feedback
you may have to identify opportunities for improvement/assistance. This survey is
voluntary. It should take you approximately 15 minutes to complete the survey.
PRA Burden Statement
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information
unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information
collection is 1845-0045. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes per
response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is
voluntary. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this survey, please
contact Federal Student Aid/Customer Experience Office/Customer Analytics Group at 830 First Street, NE Washington,
DC 20202 or [email protected] directly. [Note: Please do not return the completed survey to this address.]

Satisfaction
Please think about your experiences with the FAFSA Completion Initiative and the work
involved getting student-specific FAFSA ISIR data in addition to the transfer of information
to local education agencies/ high schools.

SAT1 Imagine an ideal process for high school counselors to assist high school
students with completing the FAFSA. How well do you think the FAFSA Completion
Initiative (making available student specific data) facilitates this process compared
to an ideal process? Please use a 10-point scale on which "1" means "not at all close
to the ideal," and "10" means "very close to the ideal."
General

The FAFSA Completion Initiative authorizes state grant agencies to allow school districts,
high schools, and certain designated entities limited access to eight data elements of FAFSA
information:
((1) the student’s last name;
(2) the student’s first name and middle initial;
(3) the student’s date of birth;
(4) the student’s zip code (not full address);
(5) if filed, the date the FAFSA form was submitted to the Department;
(6) the date the Department processed the FAFSA form, if applicable; and,
(7) a flag indicating the need for the FAFSA applicant to provide additional information, if
applicable; and (8) a FAFSA completion status flag, as determined by the state student grant
agency (i.e., FAFSA not submitted, FAFSA complete, or FAFSA incomplete).

GEN1-Does your state grant agency or territory make student-specific FAFSA data
available such as the eight data elements of the Institutional Student Information
Record (ISIR) to:[Check all that apply.]
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

School Districts (Local Education Agencies)
Individual High (Secondary) Public Schools
Private, Parochial, or Charter High (Secondary) schools
Designated Entities (e.g. non-profit, college access organizations)
Designated Entities as listed in Dear Colleague letter (e.g. Gear Up, TRIO, American
Indian/Alaska Native tribes)
f. None (please skip to OUTREACH1)

GEN2 [If GEN1=a] In your state, how many school districts do you make FAFSA (ISIR)
data available to? [Recode to percentage based on CCD number of school districts for
each state.]
Number: _________

Gen 3[If Gen1=a] Are the majority of school districts that your state makes FAFSA
(ISIR) data available to largely concentrated in the following geographic areas*:
* The National Center for Education Statistics definitions for locale are found
here:
(https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/docs/LOCALE_CLASSIFICATIONS.pdf)
a. Urban areas
b. Suburban areas
c. Town areas
d. Rural areas
e. All of the above.
Gen 4 During the course of each school year, what month do you typically first make
the student-specific FAFSA data available to your school districts? [Capture survey
respondent text ]
a. January
b. February
c. March
d. April
e. May
f. June
g. July
h. August
i. September
j. October
k. November
l. December

GEN 5 How does your state grant agency receive the state list of high school seniors
data for matching FAFSA ISIR data?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

From school districts
From high schools
From another state agency
Another office within your state agency
Other ( please specify)

GEN6 How often does your state grant agency get the list of high school seniors from
your state? [Capture survey respondent text ]

Gen 7 [If Gen1=b]
What is your state grant agency’s level of effort for engaging with high school / high
school counselors?
a. none
b. minimal/low level of effort
c. standard/normal level of effort
d. high level of effort

GEN8 Do you have an individual or a division at your state grant agency that provides
outreach to districts, high schools, or college access networks regarding FAFSA
Completion (using the data made available, creating FAFSA campaigns or events,
etc)?
a. Yes. If yes, Who or what division? [Capture survey respondent text ]
b. No
GEN9 What is preventing all of the school districts in your state from receiving
student-specific FAFSA data?
[Capture survey respondent text and recode ]
GEN10 [If GEN1=b or c] In your state grant agency or territory, how many high
(secondary) schools get the FAFSA (ISIR)data? (Validate numbers, no negative
numbers)
____ number of public high (secondary)schools
____ number of private, parochial, or charter (secondary) schools

GEN11 [If GEN1=c] What process did you use to share information with
private, parochial, or charter high (secondary) schools?

a. Same process used for other public schools
b. A different process than we use with public schools (please describe in detail)
[Capture survey respondent text]
GEN12 [If GEN1≠ c] Why doesn’t your state grant agency make student-specific
FAFSA data available such as the eight data elements of the Institutional Student
Information Record (ISIR) to Private, Parochial, or Charter schools ? (please explain)
[Capture survey respondent text]
GEN13 -In your state grant agency or territory, how frequently do you make the ISIR
data available for schools, school districts, or designated entities?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

Daily
Weekly
Biweekly
Monthly
Periodically
Other ( be specific) [Capture survey respondent text]

GEN14- In your state grant agency or territory, if a school counselor or a school
district has questions regarding the ISIR data, what office and contact information
would be provided? [Capture survey respondent text]
GEN15- Does your state grant agency or territory work with the National College
Access Network (NCAN) (https://members.collegeaccess.org/cgibin/utilities.dll/CustomList?SQLNAME=ORGLIST&WHP=organization.htm&WBP=organiza
tionList.htm&o.ISMEMBERFLG=Y&SORT=sr.STATENAME,o.ORGNAME&RANGE=1/10000)
on the FAFSA Completion Initiative?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I don’t know.

GEN15a Does your state grant agency or territory work with any other Designated
Entities (e.g. non-profit, college access organizations) on the FAFSA Completion
Initiative?
a. Yes. If so, which one(s)? (please specify) (skip to GEN16c)
b. No
c. I don’t know.

GEN16 [If (GEN15/GEN15a)=b or c] Would you like to work with any other
Designated Entities (e.g. non-profit, college access organizations, etc.) on the FAFSA
Completion Initiative?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I’m not sure

GEN16a [If GEN15 =a] Has there been benefits to with working with NCAN on the
FAFSA Completion Initiative? [Capture survey respondent text]
Gen 16b [If GEN15 =a] Has there been any challenges working with NCAN on the
FAFSA Completion Initiative? Please explain.[Capture survey respondent text]
GEN16c [If GEN15 a=a] Has there been benefits to with working with this designated
entity on the FAFSA Completion Initiative? [Capture survey respondent text]
Gen 16d[If GEN15 a=a] Has there been any challenges working with this designated
entity on the FAFSA Completion Initiative? Please explain. [Capture survey
respondent text]
GEN17 Does your state grant agency or territory track which school districts/schools
use the student specific FAFSA data?
a. Yes
b. No

GEN18 How does your state grant agency or territory encourage participation with
non-participating school districts and/or schools? [Capture survey respondent text]
GEN19 Does your state grant agency or territory include the FAFSA Completion
Initiative in any strategic objective, strategic goal, or performance metric?(If so,
please explain.) [Capture survey respondent text] [skip to Tools1]
OUTREACH1 What challenges have you encountered that prevent you from
participating in the FAFSA Completion Initiative?( Check all that apply)
a. Did not know participating in the Initiative was an option
b. No leadership buy in
c. Don’t understand the process/requirements
d. Don’t have staff to build or maintain the secure data tool
e. Data security & privacy concerns internally
f. Data security & privacy concerns externally
g. Not able to get the state data to match against the ISIR
h. Other (please specify)

OUTREACH2 Has your state grant agency or territory been contacted by a college
access organization to assist with the FAFSA Completion Initiative? Organizations
can be found here: https://members.collegeaccess.org/cgibin/utilities.dll/CustomList?SQLNAME=ORGLIST&WHP=organization.htm&WBP=organiza
tionList.htm&o.ISMEMBERFLG=Y&SORT=sr.STATENAME,o.ORGNAME&RANGE=1/10000
a. Yes (Skip to END1)
b. No (Skip to END1)
c. Not sure (Skip to END1)

d. Other (please list the name of organizations) (Skip to END1)

Tools

Some states use a data tool to upload or distribute their student specific FAFSA ISIR data to
school districts and schools.
Tools 1-Does your state grant agency or territory use a data tool to upload and/or
make student specific FAFSA ISIR data available?
a. Yes
b. No [skip to Tool5]

Tool1a-[If Tool1=a] What is the name(s) of the data tool that your state uses for the
FAFSA Completion Initiative?
a.
b.
c.
d.

FAFSA Completion Portal (developed by Colorado)
Counselors Suite
Our state or jurisdiction does not currently use a tool
Other (specify) [Capture survey respondent text]

Tool2-In your state grant agency or territory, how often is training available on the
data tool(s) that you use? [Capture survey respondent text]
Tool3-What company or organization conducts the training?
[Capture survey respondent text]
Tool4- If there were variables you could add to the list of data to be shared with
schools districts/high schools, what would it be? [Capture survey respondent text]
Tool5-[If Tool1=b] Would your state grant agency or territory be interested in using
a data tool to upload and/or distribute student specific FAFSA ISIR data?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I’m not sure.

Resources

RES1 On the following list, what assistance would your state grant agency or
territory like more information with? [Check all that apply.]
a. Help get the student specific FAFSA Completion Data (ISIR data) to the school
districts and individual schools.
b. Sample copies of data sharing agreements

c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.

Have someone provide technical assistance
Have someone provide in-person training
Have someone provide a webinar
Have blogs available related to the FAFSA Completion project
Financial or staff capacity resources
Other ( please specify)

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

Financial reasons
Not enough technical support staff
Counselors are not adequately trained to on how to use/interpret the data
Frequent high school counselors/staff turnover resulting in need of new agreements
Lack of designated personnel
Lack of “buy-in” from the Governor’s office or state department executive level
It’s not a state requirement
Inability to share all eight data elements from the ISIR
School districts/high school counselors are too overworked
Other (be specific) [Capture survey respondent text]

RES2- What are some of the challenges in carrying out theFAFSA Completion
Initiative’s availability of student specific data in your state? (Check all that apply)

RES2a Please rank (in order) your top three challenges.
1._______
2._______
3._______

RES3 [if RES2=a]What are the financial reasons?
a. No designated budget
b. Not enough money for new staff
c. Not enough money to buy the data tool
d. Other (be specific) [Capture survey respondent text]

RES4 [if RES2=a] For your state grant agency, what is your estimate of necessary
funds to improve effectiveness of the FAFSA Completion Initiative for the following
categories: (Please list a positive whole number without dollar signs or commas.
For example, for $10,000.00 write 10000.) (Validate numbers, no negative numbers,
dollar signs, or commas)
a. Administrative (start up, implementation and ongoing efforts for data sharing
agreements, user and data management)
Approximately $__________
b. FAFSA Completion data tool (hosting, server maintenance, updates)
Approximately $__________
c. Marketing & Outreach efforts (publicity, events, training &
education)
Approximately $__________

d. Student and counselor support

Approximately $__________

RES5 [if RES2=h] What are the reason(s) for not sharing the eight data elements from
the ISIR? (Check all that apply)
a. State laws
b. Federal laws
c. Privacy concerns
d. Other (be specific) [Capture survey respondent text]
RES6 [If RES5= c]What are the challenges regarding privacy? Please state or
reference the legislation and provide a link to the legislation (if available) [Capture
survey respondent text]
RES7 How many staff at the state-level are dedicated to the FAFSA Completion
Initiative? (Please enter a positive number or zero.)
Full-time (Validate numbers, no negative numbers, dollar signs, or commas)
Part-time (Validate numbers, no negative numbers, dollar signs, or commas)
Episodic (Validate numbers, no negative numbers, dollar signs, or commas)
As needed (Validate numbers, no negative numbers, dollar signs, or commas)
Other [Capture survey respondent text]

RES8 How many additional staff is needed to improve effectiveness for carrying out
the student specific FAFSA completion project in your state? [Capture survey
respondent text]
RES9 In a typical year, how frequently do you experience staff turnover on the
student-specific FAFSA Completion Initiative ? [Capture survey respondent text]
Contact1 [If Gen1=b]Who is the state’s typical point of contact for sharing student
specific FAFSA ISIR data at Individual Public High (Secondary) Schools?
a. High school counselors
b. High school Principals
c. Other (please specific)
Contact2 [If Gen1=a]Who is the state’s typical point of contact for sharing student
specific FAFSA ISIR data at School Districts (Local Education Agencies)? ( capture
text)
a. School district data staff
b. School district Superintendent

Contact3 [If Gen1=b]Who is the state’s typical point of contact for sharing student
specific FAFSA ISIR data at Private, Parochial, or Charter High (Secondary) schools?
a. High school counselors

b. High school Principals
c. Other (please specific)
Conclusion
END1 In your view, what would be considered “easy changes” or “a game changer” to
your current framework for using the FAFSA completion data that would create the
largest impact? (please be specific) [Capture survey respondent text]