PWRCE "FAFSA/CASFA Completion" Grant FAQs

Application 

Where do I find our school’s/district’s financial aid application completion rate?

Access each district’s FAFSA completion rate by year here. You can change the year by hovering over “Summary”. 

If the above tool is not working, you can find your FAFSA completion rate from the US Department of Education. In addition, here is the most recent Excel file for Colorado. Unfortunately, you will have to manually find your school's name in the file.  

Can multiple schools in each district apply for this grant, or should the district apply for the grant for all the schools?

Individual schools and the district are encouraged to apply for this grant. Each school can apply for their own and, if successful, will receive the amount they request up to $30,000. The district could do the same thing. The difference is that the amount awarded to the district will not increase and the district would have to show a plan of how the funds will be distributed across the schools.  

For example, if a district applies for $30k and receives it, that amount will be used across the district regardless of how many schools are in that district. If there were four schools in the district and the district received the grant, each school would receive approximately $7,500 to spend by June 30, 2025.

If those same four schools apply individually, potentially each school would receive $30,000 to spend by June 30, 2025.  

Can BOCES apply for this grant?

Yes! All LEPs (Local Education Providers) can apply. The strategy is the same as the question asking above if the district or individual schools should apply. In this case, the BOCES could apply for a $30k award and each school under the BOCES could apply for their own grant.

Where do I find the school/district 2021-22 postsecondary credential attainment rate?

There is not one location to find this number. These are your own stats for students who have completed any postsecondary credential, i.e. apprenticeships, industry certifications, trade school certifications, Associate’s and/or Bachelor's Degrees.

Is there a strict page limit for the application?

Yes, three pages. This is the maximum for your narrative including all required pieces. The page limit helps us keep all applicants on the same footing during the evaluation process. Please reach out to Mandy Christensen or Michelle Romero if we can assist with anything as you complete your application.

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Allowable expenses

Will the grant pay for computer programs?

Grant funds cannot support programs/platforms like Xello, Naviance, or others.  

Can I pay stipends or incentives to students to attend FAFSA events?

No. The grant will not support student stipends, awards, or incentives.

Can I pay for food at FAFSA/CASFA events?

Yes, within reason (i.e. no more than 25% of the total cost can be in consumables, like snacks and food).

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General Questions

Can I use grant funds for elementary school programs?

Elementary age students absolutely need to be taught financial literacy, and ICAP curriculum development is one idea that is written into the grant.  

That said, the governor and legislators are interested in increasing the overall FAFSA/CASFA completion rate now. It would be difficult to write a SMART goal with a timeline that measures the impact of students’ FAFSA completion 5-10 years in the future. 

Why does the award amount and length keep changing?

This grant opportunity has a statute requirement that all funds disbursed be spent by June 30, 2025. At the beginning we were able to offer up to $30,000 for three years. Since we are one year into the cycle, we are offering up to $30,000 for the next two years. If funds are not exhausted in 2024, you will see us offer up to $30,000 for the last year of the grant.

We hope this grant opportunity continues past 2025, but we cannot guarantee it at this time.

Will the funds be sent to the school? If so, when?

All funds awarded have to be distributed to the school district, then the school will work internally to receive the funds to spend. This is a long-standing process with grant fund distribution. Grants Fiscal can discuss details more.

A little about the grant award process:

You will receive email notification of your award. After that email, the Grant Award Letter (GAL) is created. The GAL takes about three weeks for that to be signed and sent. It can take longer around holiday times. Once you receive your GAL, it takes approximately three weeks for the payment request to process and the funds to arrive at your district. After you receive an email from us stating you have received the award, it can take a total of 6 weeks for funds to arrive at your district.

We suggest you ask internally about any internal rules around spending during this process. The State cannot send the funds directly to the school and cannot answer if you can “encumber” funds during this process.

Why haven’t I received any emails about things that are due or updates?

If there have been changes to your staff recently, please let us know who the point of contact for this grant is now. There will be an End of Year report (EOY) due around August of each year. A link will be sent directly to the contacts we have on file. Each year in September, fiscal reporting is due. Each awardee will submit their budget workbook to detail how spending was done, any leftover funds, and any adjustments made. Contact Michelle if you want to talk through allowable expenses.

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