FAFSA GRADUATION REQUIREMENT
On June 1, 2020, the State of Illinois signed a bill into law that every student in a public school must file a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), or as eligible to complete the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid, or complete the FAFSA Non-Participation Form in order to graduate high school.
Senior students and their parents are able to submit the FAFSA starting October 1 using the website: www.fafsa.gov
Students who are undocumented and do not have a social security number or students who are transgender may use the Alternative Application for Illinois State Aid.
Parents/students who do not want to complete the FAFSA will need to submit the FAFSA non-participation form to the school registrar by May 1 of the year they graduate. The form can be downloaded here.
This is a requirement for every WHS student to graduate. More information about this requirement can be found here.
Additionally, completing the FAFSA can sometimes be a confusing process, and want you to know that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is a free resource that provides expert FAFSA help. The Westmont High School ISAC representative is Elizabeth Barrera. She can meet with you one-on-one to walk you through the application process and/or answer any questions you have! Feel free to schedule a 15-minute appointment through the Calendy link below or for a longer meeting, reach out to her via phone or email.
Elizabeth Barrera
Illinois Student Assistance Commission
College of DuPage District
630-689-7759
Elizabeth.Barrera@Illinois.gov