We are proud to begin the 2016 FAFSA Contest for Student Leaders. Our partners, C3 Presents and Alamo Drafthouse, will provide ten $1,000 scholarships and three VIP Movie Screenings for the winning senior class in three enrollment categories.

Context

Student leaders from 40 Central Texas high schools will compete to get the most of their fellow seniors to file for financial aid before March 31, 2016. Winners will be selected based on the highest FAFSA submission rate within your campus enrollment category. See categories and schools below.

Prizes

$1,000 scholarship from C3 Presents

VIP Movie Screening to Captain America: Civil War

Best way to win?

That’s up to student leaders and their faculty sponsor. They must follow a couple of rules, of course. Suggested strategies include:

• Make sure your class knows March 1 and March 15 are major FAFSA filing deadlines and that file before March 31 means more $ for college
• Make signage about FAFSA completion and this contest (highlight VIP screening at Alamo Drafthouse) visible around your campus. Pretty much all major entrances and hallways should have posters/flyers.
• Help your counselor promote FREE Financial Aid Saturdays events and other FAFSA/TAFSA events at or near your campus
• Engage your social network. Utilize any and all social media outlets to get your classmates to urgently prompt their parents to file taxes and file their FAFSA before March 31.

The 2016 FAFSA Contest for Student Leaders is part of Austin’s Direct-to-College 70% Achievement Plan (DTC70).