FAFSA Completions Down In MI: How Detroit Area Schools Compare

DETROIT, MI — 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 Michigan, 49,016 FAFSA applications were completed as of June 25, compared with 54,744 completions at the same point last year. That is a 10.5 percent decrease. (See how Detroit 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 Michigan, completed applications dropped 17.1 percent from Title 1 schools, compared with a 9.1 percent drop for non-Title 1 school applications as of June 25.

Here is how schools in the Detroit area are doing with FAFSA completion as of June 25. See more Detroit 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: Cass Technical High School
District: Detroit Public Schools Community District
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 402
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 430
• Percent change: -6.51
• Title 1 status: Title I schoolwide

School: Renaissance High School
District: Detroit Public Schools Community District
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 224
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 217
• Percent change: 3.23
• Title 1 status: Title I schoolwide

School: Grosse Pointe South High School
District:Grosse Pointe Public Schools
Municipality: Grosse Pointe Farms

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 221
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 270
• Percent change: -18.15
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Crestwood High School
District:Crestwood School District
Municipality: Dearborn Heights

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 196
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 242
• Percent change: -19.01
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Grosse Pointe North High School
District:Grosse Pointe Public Schools
Municipality: Grosse Pointe Woods

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 170
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 219
• Percent change: -22.37
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Western International High School
District:Detroit Public Schools Community District
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 150
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 186
• Percent change: -19.35
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Hamtramck High School
District:Hamtramck School District Of The City Of
Municipality: Hamtramck

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 131
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 154
• Percent change: -14.94
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Chandler Park Academy High School
District:Chandler Park Academy
Municipality: Harper Woods

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 88
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 104
• Percent change: -15.38
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: University Preparatory Academy Psad High School
District:University Preparatory Academy (Psad)
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 87
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 125
• Percent change: -30.4
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Lee M Thurston High School
District:South Redford School District
Municipality: Redford

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 81
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 114
• Percent change: -28.95
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: Cornerstone Health And Technology School
District:Cornerstone Health And Technology School
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 80
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 62
• Percent change: 29.03
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Harper Woods High School
District:Harper Woods The School District Of The City Of
Municipality: Harper Woods

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 75
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 83
• Percent change: -9.64
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Cesar Chavez High School
District:Cesar Chavez Academy
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 73
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 103
• Percent change: -29.13
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Jalen Rose Leadership Academy
District:Jalen Rose Leadership Academy
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 63
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 71
• Percent change: -11.27
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Detroit School Of Arts
District:Detroit Public Schools Community District
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 62
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 62
• Percent change: 0
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Star International Academy
District:Star International Academy
Municipality: Dearborn Heights

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 60
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 74
• Percent change: -18.92
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: University Preparatory Science And Math Psad High School
District:University Preparatory Science And Math (Psad)
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 56
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 44
• Percent change: 27.27
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Detroit Edison Public School Academy High School
District:Detroit Edison Public School Academy
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 55
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 34
• Percent change: 61.76
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Mumford High School
District:Detroit Public Schools Community District
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 53
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 63
• Percent change: -15.87
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Redford Union High School
District:Redford Union Schools District No. 1
Municipality: Redford

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 48
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 81
• Percent change: -40.74
• Title 1 status:Not Title I schoolwide

School: East English Village Preparatory Academy
District:Detroit Public Schools Community District
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 44
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 97
• Percent change: -54.64
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Universal Academy
District:Universal Academy
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 34
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 34
• Percent change: 0
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Pershing High School
District:Detroit Public Schools Community District
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 31
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 52
• Percent change: -40.38
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Oakland International Academy High School
District:Oakland International Academy
Municipality: Hamtramck

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 30
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 21
• Percent change: 42.86
• Title 1 status:Title I schoolwide

School: Voyageur College Prep
District:Voyageur Academy
Municipality: Detroit

• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2021: 29
• Total FAFSA completions as of June 25, 2020: 63
• Percent change: -53.97
• 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.