2021 College Aid: How Indianapolis Area Compares In Application Rates

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Applications for federal college financial aid are notably lower this year, and that could mean fewer freshmen when classes begin this fall.

Prospective college students can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to qualify for subsidized student loans and other forms of aid. FAFSA applications declined 5.8 percent nationally this year compared with the same time last year. About 1.72 million students completed the application as of June 25, compared with 1.83 million in 2020, according to an Associated Press analysis of FAFSA data.

As of February this year, FAFSA applications were down 10 percent from last year. But the completion rate increased in the spring, when schools could hold more in-school FAFSA help events that were canceled last year because of the pandemic.

A decline in the FAFSA completion rate could be a harbinger of lower enrollment in the fall. The class of 2020 had 3.7 percent fewer FAFSA applications than the class of 2019; postsecondary enrollment dropped 6.8 percent between the class of 2020 and 2019, according to the National College Attainment Network.

In Indiana, 36,816 FAFSA applications were completed as of June 25, compared with 38,819 completions at the same point last year. That is a 5.2 percent decrease. (See how Indianapolis area high schools compare below.)

The decline is steeper among Title 1 high schools, meaning those where low-income students make up at least 40 percent of enrollment. Title 1 high school completions dropped 8.83 percent, compared with a 3.86 decrease for non-Title 1 schools.

In Indiana, completed applications dropped 7.3 percent from Title 1 schools, compared with a 3.7 percent drop for non-Title 1 school applications as of June 25.

Here is how schools in the Indianapolis area are doing with FAFSA completion as of June 25. See more Indianapolis area high schools here. Note: Percent changes can be affected by a relatively small difference in completions, especially for smaller schools. FAFSA data only counts students who are no older than 19.

School: North Central High School
District: M S D Washington Township
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 451
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 480
• Percent change: -6.04
• Title 1 status: Title I schoolwide

School: Ben Davis High School
District: M S D Wayne Township
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 418
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 413
• Percent change: 1.21
• Title 1 status: Title I schoolwide

School: Zionsville Community High School
District:Zionsville Community Schools
Municipality: Zionsville

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 351
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 352
• Percent change: -0.28
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Franklin Central High School
District:Franklin Township Com Sch Corp
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 351
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 395
• Percent change: -11.14
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Pike High School
District:M S D Pike Township
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 337
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 388
• Percent change: -13.14
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Warren Central High School
District:M S D Warren Township
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 333
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 376
• Percent change: -11.44
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Lawrence North High School
District:M S D Lawrence Township
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 330
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 313
• Percent change: 5.43
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Perry Meridian High School
District:Perry Township Schools
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 298
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 318
• Percent change: -6.29
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Indiana Connections Academy
District:Indiana Connections Academy
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 291
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 256
• Percent change: 13.67
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Lawrence Central High School
District:M S D Lawrence Township
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 245
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 299
• Percent change: -18.06
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Southport High School
District:Perry Township Schools
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 236
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 281
• Percent change: -16.01
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Decatur Central High School
District:M S D Decatur Township
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 194
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 223
• Percent change: -13
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: New Palestine High School
District:Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp
Municipality: New Palestine

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 167
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 174
• Percent change: -4.02
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Herron High School
District:Herron Charter
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 131
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 173
• Percent change: -24.28
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Shortridge High School
District:Indianapolis Public Schools
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 121
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 87
• Percent change: 39.08
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Arsenal Technical High School
District:Indianapolis Public Schools
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 120
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 161
• Percent change: -25.47
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Speedway Senior High School
District:School Town Of Speedway
Municipality: Speedway

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 87
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 75
• Percent change: 16
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Ben Davis University High School
District:M S D Wayne Township
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 85
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 95
• Percent change: -10.53
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Crispus Attucks High School
District:Indianapolis Public Schools
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 82
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 126
• Percent change: -34.92
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Beech Grove Sr High School
District:Beech Grove City Schools
Municipality: Beech Grove

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 74
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 96
• Percent change: -22.92
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Purdue Polytechnic High School Ind
District:Purdue Polytechnic High School Ind
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 68
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020:
• Percent change:
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: George Washington High School
District:Indianapolis Public Schools
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 44
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 36
• Percent change: 22.22
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Charles A Tindley Accelerated Sch
District:Charles A Tindley Accelerated Sch
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 34
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 38
• Percent change: -10.53
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Christel House Academy South
District:Christel House Academy South
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 28
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 24
• Percent change: 16.67
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Emmerich Manual High School
District:Csusa Manual
Municipality: Indianapolis

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 26
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 33
• Percent change: -21.21
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

The FAFSA application for the 2020-21 academic year closes June 30 at 11:59 p.m. CT, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Many states and colleges set their own deadlines for aid applications. There has been a push in recent years to have students fill out the FAFSA earlier in their senior year.

Editor’s note: This list was automatically generated using FAFSA data analyzed by the Associated Press. Federal high school counts don't include students over the age of 19. Information isn't available for all schools. Schools with fewer than five completions are omitted from the data. Please report any errors or other feedback to content@patch.com.