The FAFSA Simplification Act was a bipartisan effort from Congress to streamline the application for students and parents nationwide and expand access to federal Pell Grants, so more students may receive this financial assistance. With a series of delays and technical issues, the Better FAFSA’s flaws are frustrating students, their families, college administrators, and school counselors. According to the National College Attainment Network, FAFSA submissions are about 30% down from this time last year. As the completion data is made available, the suspicion is that these numbers are even lo ..read more

As we approach the 2024 Talent Strong Florida Summit, we hope you will take time to reflect on this year’s theme, “Access for All.” The FCAN team provided insight into the summit theme to inspire attendees on our vision of working together to achieve success for Florida students. FCAN and our partners believe all Floridians need access to a postsecondary education to meet the needs of Florida’s growing economy. “The transformative power of education means those who earn a degree earn more money over the course of a lifetime. More importantly, we know that higher education leads to people le ..read more

REGISTER TODAY FCAN is overjoyed to announce this year’s General Session Speakers for the Talent Strong Florida Summit!  Our speakers bring unique perspectives from their experiences and include trailblazing first-generation college graduates, passionate education leaders, strategic innovators, and charismatic partners, all leading the movement toward education and career success for all Floridians! General Session Speakers Learn more about the 2024 Talent Strong Florida General Session Speakers. The post Announcing General Session Speakers for the 2024 Talent Strong Flor ..read more

The White House and U.S Department of Education (ED) announced April 15-19 as Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Week of Action. During this week, high school counselors, principals, after school programs, nonprofit organizations, and more are encouraged to raise awareness about the FAFSA. To get started, FCAN has compiled various resources to share: Florida FAFSA Challenge Toolkit FAFSA Walkthrough “How To” Videos from Federal Student Aid YouTube FAFSA Pro-Tips FAFSA Toolkit for Students & Families Due to financial aid processing delays, some Florida universities and co ..read more

After another sixty days, Florida’s regular legislative session adjourned on Friday, March 8 after passing 211 bills and a balanced budget totaling $117.46 billion. FCAN has released a recap brief to provide an overview of the higher education legislation passed. Some of the bills covered were highlighted during the webinar on April 2 with panelists including Representative Lauren Melo (R – Naples), Representative Jervonte Edmonds (D – West Palm Beach), and Nicole Washington of Washington Education Strategies. Unless otherwise noted, all bills and the budget are waiting for Gov ..read more

REGISTER TODAY Florida College Access Network is proud to announce this year’s sponsors for the Talent Strong Florida Summit! Together, we are working to create a talent strong Florida that promotes college readiness, access, and success. Thanks to the support of our sponsors, attendees will have the opportunity to get inspired, gain knowledge, network, and join other college access champions as we continue the movement toward education and career success for all Floridians! Register today! The early bird registration rate of $319 saves $50 through March 31. Presenti ..read more

READ THE FULL RECAP Healthcare education, an alternative pathway to graduation, specialized transfer degrees, and career and technical education topped this year’s list of priorities. The 2024 regular legislative session adjourned sine die on Friday, March 8. Lawmakers passed a $117.46 billion budget, supporting a variety of new and continued initiatives. Highlights of the balanced budget include increased per-pupil funding, a 3% raise for all state employees, efforts to address Florida’s healthcare workforce shortage, and $500 million to pay outstanding debt. In total, 1,902 bills were file ..read more

With the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) release in December 2023, schools and community organizations have had less time to prepare students and their families to fill out the form. In addition, due to the FAFSA Simplification Act, the 2024-25 FAFSA has been significantly changed to streamline the financial aid process. To raise awareness, Achieve Escambia has relaunched its participation in FCAN’s Florida FAFSA Challenge. This statewide initiative encourages schools and districts to increase their FAFSA completion rate by at least 5% or more compared to the last sc ..read more

REGISTER TODAY Florida College Access Network (FCAN) is excited to announce this year’s Keynote Session Speakers for the Talent Strong Florida Summit – Access for All! “We’re thrilled to have Maurice Allen, Paul J. Luna, and Narietha Carter-McClain as this year’s keynote speakers. Each keynote speaker brings a unique perspective on the “Access for All” summit theme that promises to inform and inspire all education stakeholders,” said Braulio Colón, Executive Director, FCAN. Together, we are working to create a talent strong Florida that promotes college readiness, access, and ..read more

READ FCAN'S DUAL ENROLLMENT REPORT For 18-year-old Ayanni Davis, dual enrollment is a practical step towards a future she began visualizing in elementary school, where a teacher prompted Davis to write about how her interests could align with her aspirations. “I’ve always cared about people, so I thought being a nurse was one of the best ways to do that,” Davis said. At first, Davis debated what certificate program to enroll in – the licensed practical nurse (LPN) or an emergency medical technician (EMT) pathway. “In the end, I chose LPN because I thought it would better align with my caree ..read more