FAFSA is in the Water: A Decade of Data with NCAN
Tennessee leads the nation in FAFSA completion. The person who has tracked that lead for a decade has a simple explanation: FAFSA completion is in the water here.
On this episode of At Scale, Bill DeBaun, Senior Director of Data and Strategic Initiatives at the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), joins hosts Ben Sterling and Tyler Ford to talk about the path from high school senior to college graduate and the data that helps communities support students along the way.
Bill created NCAN’s national FAFSA Tracker, which ranks states on FAFSA completion and updates every Friday. The Class of 2027 marks the tracker’s tenth year. He shares how the project started, why he treats data as a flashlight rather than a scorecard and why nearly every question he gets comes back to denominators. He also explains what sets Tennessee apart, from former U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander’s push for FAFSA simplification to a statewide expectation that every senior files.
The conversation turns to data storytelling: cutting the clutter, leading with the takeaway and giving school counselors, mentors and community partners information they can use with students. Ben and Tyler share how tnAchieves applies the same thinking to its Tennessee Promise application dashboard and to 60 by 2030, a statewide goal of a 60% three-year graduation rate. Bill closes with NCAN’s latest Affordability Gap analysis and why the Tennessee Promise has made such a difference for students and families.
Learn more about 60 by 2030 at tnAchieves.org/60x2030.
Listen to NCAN’s podcast, To a Degree, which explores the ideas, policies and practices shaping college access, success and attainment: https://www.ncan.org/Web/Web/To-a-Degree-Podcast.aspx?hkey=3fa481a3-2202-4884-84c4-adfe70884f6f
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