How one rural district boosted its FAFSA completion rate to one of the highest in the state

The Yancey County School District in rural, western North Carolina, a part of Appalachian State GEAR UP, has one of the highest FAFSA completion rates in the state, increasing by 16 percentage points from 2019 to 2020. Through 3 integrated approaches: 1) dedicated time, space, and staff; 2) a caseload approach; and 3) culture and relationships, success in FAFSA completion has dramatically increased. Students have access to both a GEAR UP coordinator and College Advising Corps adviser in the high school, and each student is led through the FAFSA process step-by-step. The college-going culture established in the school is emphasized with the students, teachers, and administrators, and has created buy-in that has been crucial in the success of these programs.