This summer, we’re connecting with recent grads across Racine and Kenosha to help them complete their FAFSA. The Financial Aid Support Team’s outreach will help us better understand the barriers to FAFSA completion—and how we can help more students access financial aid during the school year.

Earlier this month, Higher Expectations joined fellow members of the Wisconsin Partnership for a two-day convening at Wingspread to align around systems-level strategies that support children and families across the state. Together with state and national partners, we explored how to drive equitable outcomes in early childhood, literacy, and beyond.
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At Higher Expectations, we use data to measure progress, set goals, and drive change in Racine County. Our latest outcomes data shows where we’re making strides and where more support is needed. Explore our new data dashboards for the most up-to-date information, and check out our video walkthrough to learn how to navigate it. Together, we can turn data into impact and create opportunities for 14,222 individuals in our community.

In 2023, over $4 billion in Pell Grants went unclaimed nationwide due to students not completing the FAFSA. In Wisconsin alone, an estimated 36% of high school graduates did not submit a FAFSA application, potentially leaving millions of dollars in financial aid on the table. Higher Expectations is excited to announce the launch of the FAST FAFSA initiative, aimed at increasing the completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) among high school seniors in Racine and Kenosha counties.

Watch our two-part webinar series on the impact of COVID-19 on education and employment in Racine County.

When we want to look at data, how do we do it? This blog dives into what it takes to put a report, like our COVID-19 Impact Report together.

As requested by our Leadership Table, we have been working to create this report to better understand the impact of Covid-19 on education and employment in Racine County.

Gateway Technical College and its partners including the YWCA of Southeast Wisconsin, Southeast Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, and Higher Expectations have been awarded grant funding for Southeast Wisconsin’s Talent Optimization Project (SWTOP).