GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) -- The number of students applying for federal dollars is plummeting.
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"We've been hearing nationwide that this was an issue," researcher Sara Shaw said. "Very discouraging to find that, yes, it's decreasing across the country, and actually more so in Wisconsin than elsewhere."
Research done by Shaw and the Wisconsin Policy Forum found the amount of Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completed by high school seniors fell by over 12 percent statewide from 2019 to 2021.
The national decline was under 8 percent.
"These student groups that were most likely to benefit from FAFSA, if they filled it out, were also the groups that saw the greatest decrease in completions," Shaw said.
Experts say there are many reasons for the decrease. One? Covid caused young adults to rethink attending school.
"If you don't think you're going to go to college, there's less reason to fill out the FAFSA," Shaw said.
On Friday, Governor Tony Evers declared October FAFSA Filing Month in an effort to increase application rates.
"With this proclamation, our hope is that it'll be kind of that friendly nudge or that friendly reminder for students to fill out the FAFSA," DFI’s College Affordability Specialist Cheryl Rapp said.
The FAFSA application can result in free money, student loans or both. According to Student Loan Hero, Wisconsin ranks 45th in loan debt with just over $30,000 per person.
"It's the number one step to qualify for funding to pay for any post-secondary education," Rapp said. "And it provides access to critical financial resources that's out there."
Whether you need the cash or not, experts say it can't hurt to fill it out.
"Always fill out the FAFSA, because there's always some form or some type of money that's going to be available for that student," Rapp said.
Experts say it's also fueled by less high schoolers working in person. So it was harder to find help on financial aid forms.
