The state is sending out letters to high school seniors in St. Lawrence County and other areas to provide them with helpful tips and resources to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

A press release from the governor’s office said, letters will also be sent to high school principals urging them to make sure each senior student has the resources needed to access financial aid.

The mailings are a part of Financial Aid Awareness Month, which Governor Kathy Hochul launched at the beginning of this month.

“Far too often, New York students don’t realize the full scope of financial aid that is available to them to help cover the cost of higher education,” Hochul said. “As part of Financial Aid Awareness Month, my administration is conducting outreach to high school seniors and principals to ensure students complete the FAFSA and have the resources needed to access financial support to continue their education.”

Last year, New York’s high school students left over $200 million in federal aid unclaimed by not filling out the FAFSA.

The FAFSA is free, and opens the door to federal and state aid, including Tuition Assistance Program and Excelsior Scholarship, as well as other college funding awards.

Year over year, FAFSA submission rates are down 24 percent in New York State.

Students and their families are encouraged to go to https://www.hesc.ny.gov/fafsaready to learn about events and informational services in their community.

Students can also follow #FAFSAReady to hear from current college students.

Leaders across the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), State University of New York (SUNY), City University of New York (CUNY) and academic and community organizations in New York are joining the Governor in her campaign to make sure New Yorkers take every opportunity to access funding for college.

Each institution continues to host multiple events this month to help students and their families complete the FAFSA or the Dream Act, and Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) applications.

Events include information sessions on how to fill out financial aid applications, virtual drop in opportunities to connect with HESC, SUNY and CUNY experts, and discussions about scholarship opportunities for students.

As part of the Governor’s 2024 State of the State, she announced her plan to require graduating high school seniors to fill out the FAFSA form as an effort to boost completion rates.

Studies show that students who complete the FAFSA are more likely to go to college, the governor’s office claimed.  

Specifically, 90 percent of high school seniors who complete the form go to college directly after graduation, compared to just 55 percent of seniors who don’t fill out the aid application.