PRESS RELEASE | HIGHER EXPECTATIONS AND BUILDING OUR FUTURE TO HOST FOURTH ANNUAL REGIONAL FAFSA SUMMIT
RACINE AND KENOSHA PARTNERS WORKING ON INCREASING COLLEGE ENROLLMENT
Racine & Kenosha, WI – Higher Expectations for Racine County and Building Our Future in Kenosha County will host the fourth annual Regional FAFSA Summit on Friday, October 9, 2026 at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside. The event will bring together high school counselors, district leaders, college financial aid staff, and community partners from Racine and Kenosha Counties to strengthen strategies that help more students pursue education after high school.
This year's Summit is honored to welcome Racine County Executive Ralph Malicki, Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman, and Kenosha Mayor David Bogdala, along with other local elected officials recognizing October as FAFSA Month.
"UW-Parkside is proud to host this year’s FAFSA Summit," said Dr. Lynn D. Akey, Chancellor of UW-Parkside. "We’re glad to bring educators and community partners to our campus for a conversation that matters so much to our region’s future."
The FAFSA Summit is part of a regional effort to increase college enrollment. The Collaborative has set a clear vision: by 2028, 62 percent of high school graduates in Racine and Kenosha will enroll in a postsecondary program the fall after graduation. Both Higher Expectations and Building Our Future are members of the StriveTogether national network, which connects communities across the country to accelerate outcomes for young people through cradle-to-career partnerships.
“The FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, opens the door to financial aid that makes postsecondary education possible for so many students,” said Elizabeth Erickson, Executive Director of Higher Expectations for Racine County. “When families complete the FAFSA, they are taking a critical step toward ensuring that cost is not a barrier to their child’s future.”
“This Summit is about more than one county or one school district. It is a regional effort,” said Tatjana Bicanin, Executive Director of Building Our Future in Kenosha County. “Racine and Kenosha are stronger when we plan and act together. With state and local leaders joining us this year, we have an even greater opportunity to turn shared strategy into real results for students across both counties.”
This year’s event is made possible through the support of our sponsors: Racine Unified School District, Kenosha Unified School District, Carthage College, Gateway Technical College, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Campbell Construction, Johnson Financial Group, and Educators Credit Union.
This year's Summit will build on insights gained over the past several years from regional workgroups, which have deepened the understanding of the barriers and motivations students face in completing the FAFSA. Together, participants will focus on strengthening regional strategies to increase FAFSA completion, expand postsecondary access and persistence, and help more students pursue education and career opportunities after high school.
About Higher Expectations: Higher Expectations is a collective impact nonprofit that engages community partners, aligns efforts, and maximizes resources to promote excellence and equity in education and employment outcomes in Racine County. For the past twelve years, Higher Expectations has committed to using evidence-based and data-driven decision making to identify local best practices, align community efforts, and track progress on key outcomes from birth to successful employment. They have three core goals: Every child enters school ready to learn; Every student succeeds in school; Every resident succeeds in a career.
About Building Our Future: Building Our Future (BOF) is Kenosha County’s cradle-to-career community partnership, bringing together leaders across education, business, nonprofit, civic and philanthropic sectors to improve outcomes for children and young people. As a member of the national StriveTogether Network, BOF works with local partners to align efforts, strengthen connections across systems and use data to identify where collective action can make the greatest difference.
BOF serves as a trusted backbone for this work, helping our community work smarter together so more children and young people can succeed. We build networks around shared goals, support partners in strengthening their capacity and elevate the voices of students, families and community members. Our work spans early childhood, literacy, postsecondary success and career pathways, with a focus on turning shared goals into measurable results.