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ST. GEORGE — More of Utah's high school seniors need to apply for college and for financial aid, as lots of money sits untapped every year.
To engage more students in the process, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has declared October as Utah College Application and Financial Aid Awareness Month.
Utah Tech University and Dixie Technical College — the largest higher education institutions in Washington County — partnered this month with the goal of helping every high school senior in the county complete a college or university application.
Representatives from the two schools, along with partners from the Utah System of Higher Education, have spent the month of October touring county high schools to teach students how to apply to college and inform them about the educational opportunities available in Washington County and across the state.
"It's not too early for high school juniors and seniors to start planning the next steps of their educational path, and Utah College Application Month is the perfect opportunity for students and parents to engage in conversations about the future," Jordan Rushton, president of Dixie Technical College, said in a statement. "Taking advantage of the educational opportunities right here in southern Utah is critical to ensuring loved ones continue to live, work and thrive here."
Additionally, Washington County residents will have their application fees to both Utah Tech (waiver code UT2024) and Dixie Technical College (waiver code UCAW23) waived as part of the partnership.
While the two schools share "tech" in their respective monikers, there are differences between them. Technical colleges like Dixie Tech largely offer skill-specific programs and certificates for a particular career or trade and can often be completed in one year or less. On the other hand, polytechnic universities like Utah Tech focus on applied, hands-on learning and career readiness but also offer general education degrees along with associate, bachelor and graduate degrees.
"Both Dixie Technical College and Utah Tech University are committed to training the workforce that sustains our economy and enriches the beautiful region we call home," Richard Williams, president of Utah Tech University, said in a statement. "Both institutions offer unique educational experiences that can be customized to fit individual preferences, goals and career paths. Students can utilize a combination of both schools to discover what they enjoy and gain the knowledge and skills to obtain a career that can support their family and help our local economy thrive."
In his original declaration, Cox noted the benefits available to students who fill out financial aid applications and ample data exists showing Utah high school seniors are lagging behind the rest of the nation when it comes to completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Related:
Utah high school seniors are missing out on millions of dollars in free college aid
Utah has the second lowest FAFSA completion rate in the country, meaning the state's high school seniors left $42 million of free Pell Grant money on the table in 2022.Only 35.5% of Utah high school seniors had completed the FAFSA as of June — the second-lowest total in the nation ahead of only Alaska, according to data from the National FAFSA Tracker.
These completion rates lead to students missing out on financial assistance, with data from the National College Attainment Network showing that Utah high school seniors left over $42 million of Pell Grant money on the table in 2022.
Though the partnership between Utah Tech and Dixie Tech will focus on college applications, the Utah System of Higher Education has programs aimed at increasing Utah's FAFSA completion rates.
The Utah System of Higher Education partners with the Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority on FAFSA completion efforts. The authority's outreach team helps facilitate and promote FAFSA completion across Utah by training high school counselors and educators on FAFSA and other forms of financial aid by hosting over 130 FAFSA completion open houses throughout the state for students and their families.
Additionally, many Utah school districts host their own FAFSA completion events (details can be found online by searching for FAFSA completion events by district) and Utah's colleges and universities also partner with the Utah System of Higher Education to host FAFSA completion events throughout the state.
Jyl Hall, Utah Tech's public relations director, said that while the university's FAFSA completion events would usually be held in October to coincide with the college application month, they now will take place in January due to the 2024-2025 FAFSA being delayed by the Department of Education.
