🎃No Tricks, Just Treats: FAFSA Opens Doors to Postsecondary Opportunities

Written By Leslie Lukas

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) unlocks access to federal and state grants, scholarships, and institutional aid. According to the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), students who complete the FAFSA are statistically more likely to enroll in a post-secondary institution right after high school than those who don’t.

Regional Progress: Racine & Kenosha

In the 2024-25 cycle, 1,300 students across Racine and Kenosha completed their FAFSA, unlocking more than $6 million in potential aid for local students and families.

  • Racine Unified School District: 149 more completions, unlocking an estimated $685,000 in new aid.

  • Kenosha Unified School District: 61 more completions, unlocking an estimated $280,000 in new aid.

That’s nearly $1 million in additional resources fueling postsecondary opportunities across our region. These gains reflect powerful partnerships through the Equitable Enrollment Collaborative, co-led by Higher Expectations for Racine County and Building Our Future in Kenosha County.

At this year’s Regional FAFSA Summit at Gateway Technical College, partners celebrated progress and unveiled the new FAFSA G.O.A.T. trophy—awarded to Racine Unified School District for having the most schools meet their FAFSA goals. The trophy will travel among RUSD schools throughout the year to keep the momentum going.

FAFSA Resources

Now is the time to complete the 2026-27 FAFSA. Local support is available at:

Complete the fafsa at studentaid.gov
Leslie Lukas

Leslie works as the Communications Coordinator/Consultant at Higher Expectations for Racine County. Joining the team in early 2024, she comes with a communications background in higher education and the nonprofit sector.

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