FAFSA Completions Down In MA: How Boston Area Schools Compare

BOSTON, MA — 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 Massachusetts, 40,353 FAFSA applications were completed as of June 25, compared with 42,105 completions at the same point last year. That is a 4.2 percent decrease. (See how Boston 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 Massachusetts, completed applications dropped 5.7 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 Boston area are doing with FAFSA completion as of June 25. See more Boston 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: Boston Latin
District: Boston
Municipality: Boston

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 363
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 342
• Percent change: 6.14
• Title 1 status: Title I schoolwide

School: Boston Latin Academy
District: Boston
Municipality: Dorchester

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 292
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 223
• Percent change: 30.94
• Title 1 status: Title I schoolwide

School: Brookline High
District:Brookline
Municipality: Brookline

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 284
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 280
• Percent change: 1.43
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Revere High
District:Revere
Municipality: Revere

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 267
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 247
• Percent change: 8.1
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: O'Bryant School Math/Science
District:Boston
Municipality: Roxbury

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 265
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 218
• Percent change: 21.56
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: North Quincy High
District:Quincy
Municipality: Quincy

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 224
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 229
• Percent change: -2.18
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Everett High
District:Everett
Municipality: Everett

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 201
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 212
• Percent change: -5.19
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Excel Academy Charter School
District:Excel Academy Charter (District)
Municipality: East Boston

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 107
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 111
• Percent change: -3.6
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Chelsea High
District:Chelsea
Municipality: Chelsea

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 97
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 158
• Percent change: -38.61
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Winthrop High School
District:Winthrop
Municipality: Winthrop

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 96
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 100
• Percent change: -4
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Roxbury Preparatory Charter School
District:Roxbury Preparatory Charter (District)
Municipality: Roxbury

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 92
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 94
• Percent change: -2.13
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: East Boston High
District:Boston
Municipality: East Boston

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 83
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 115
• Percent change: -27.83
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Excel High School
District:Boston
Municipality: South Boston

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 73
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 71
• Percent change: 2.82
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Boston Arts Academy
District:Boston
Municipality: Boston

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 69
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 77
• Percent change: -10.39
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Edward M. Kennedy Academy For Health Careers (Horace Mann Ch
District:Edward M. Kennedy Academy For Health Careers (Horace Mann Ch
Municipality: Boston

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 65
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 71
• Percent change: -8.45
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Match Charter Public School
District:Match Charter Public School (District)
Municipality: Boston

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 64
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 64
• Percent change: 0
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Madison Park High
District:Boston
Municipality: Roxbury

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 64
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 54
• Percent change: 18.52
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Boston Collegiate Charter School
District:Boston Collegiate Charter (District)
Municipality: Dorchester

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 61
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 57
• Percent change: 7.02
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Boston Preparatory Charter Public School
District:Boston Preparatory Charter Public (District)
Municipality: Hyde Park

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 61
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 46
• Percent change: 32.61
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Charlestown High
District:Boston
Municipality: Charlestown

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 60
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 75
• Percent change: -20
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: The English High
District:Boston
Municipality: Boston

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 60
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 51
• Percent change: 17.65
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Boston Community Leadership Academy
District:Boston
Municipality: Hyde Park

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 59
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 66
• Percent change: -10.61
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Jeremiah E Burke High
District:Boston
Municipality: Dorchester

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 58
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 49
• Percent change: 18.37
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: New Mission High School
District:Boston
Municipality: Hyde Park

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 56
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 59
• Percent change: -5.08
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Techboston Academy
District:Boston
Municipality: Dorchester

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 56
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 83
• Percent change: -32.53
• Title 1 status: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.