Milwaukee City Wire

Milwaukee Public Schools students will now be required to fill out and file federal student aid before they walk the stage as graduates.

The Federal Application for Federal Student Aid packets known as FAFSA are being sold as part of an effort by the school system to increase college bound student levels by showing that college can be affordable even for students that come from low-income households.

"At least 80% of students that fill out the FAFSA receive some type of financial aid when it comes down to attending school. So to not apply is to literally leave money on the table," Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley told CBS58.com.

All told, in the neighborhood of $3.75 billion worth of Pell Grants were left unclaimed by the class of 2021, with 50% of the graduates not so much as taking the time to fill out any of the required FAFSA paperwork.

The application period for the 2023-24 school year opened on October 1, and the maximum Pell Grant per student is currently $6,300, based on anticipated family income.

Between now and graduation, there are plenty of public events planned where students and families can get learn more about the process and have any questions they might have answered. Some schools are even hosting FAFSA nights or giving the opportunity during their parent teacher conferences.

"A lot of high schools are happy to help families and a lot offer nights where students can come in with their folks and walk through it step by step, making it a really painless process," Burlington Area School District communications director Julie told CBS58.

Burlington school officials say they plan to have FAFSA experts on hand to answer questions at parent-teacher conferences on Oct. 26.