Bill DeBaun
@billdebaun.bsky.social
Senior Director of 📊💡at the National College Attainment Network. Jack of some trades, including dot connecting. Devoted FAFSA data dork. The snark is mine; my views could also be yours! Happy to chat, reach out!
It's good to have good news, and the class of 2025's FAFSAs are delivering it!
Through June 27, the class of 2025 completed 17.5% more FAFSAs year-over-year. That's an additional 334,000 completions! Good for a ~54% completion rate!
www.ncan.org/news/705304/...
Through June 27, the class of 2025 completed 17.5% more FAFSAs year-over-year. That's an additional 334,000 completions! Good for a ~54% completion rate!
www.ncan.org/news/705304/...
July 8, 2025 at 6:55 PM
It's good to have good news, and the class of 2025's FAFSAs are delivering it!
Through June 27, the class of 2025 completed 17.5% more FAFSAs year-over-year. That's an additional 334,000 completions! Good for a ~54% completion rate!
www.ncan.org/news/705304/...
Through June 27, the class of 2025 completed 17.5% more FAFSAs year-over-year. That's an additional 334,000 completions! Good for a ~54% completion rate!
www.ncan.org/news/705304/...
Does OBBB reflect this
June 30, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Does OBBB reflect this
Enjoying some excellent Sichuan cold noodles at the Dupont farmers market today
June 1, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Enjoying some excellent Sichuan cold noodles at the Dupont farmers market today
Through 4/11, class of 2025 seniors have completed 60% more FAFSAs(!) than the class of 2024 a year ago. It's a 15pp increase(!) in the FAFSA completion rate nationally.
Eye-popping numbers, but(!!) still 3-4pp behind 2017-20, so keep going! www.ncanfafsatracker.org
Eye-popping numbers, but(!!) still 3-4pp behind 2017-20, so keep going! www.ncanfafsatracker.org
April 21, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Through 4/11, class of 2025 seniors have completed 60% more FAFSAs(!) than the class of 2024 a year ago. It's a 15pp increase(!) in the FAFSA completion rate nationally.
Eye-popping numbers, but(!!) still 3-4pp behind 2017-20, so keep going! www.ncanfafsatracker.org
Eye-popping numbers, but(!!) still 3-4pp behind 2017-20, so keep going! www.ncanfafsatracker.org
Through 2/14, FAFSA submissions for high school seniors are up 6.4% compared to last year through 11 weeks; submissions are up 13% compared to the class of 2023 FAFSA cycle. www.ncan.org/news/694410/...
February 25, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Through 2/14, FAFSA submissions for high school seniors are up 6.4% compared to last year through 11 weeks; submissions are up 13% compared to the class of 2023 FAFSA cycle. www.ncan.org/news/694410/...
DC families! The My School DC lottery application deadline for PK3 – Grade 8 is just ONE WEEK AWAY.
If you have questions or need assistance, the hotline team is standing by to help! Call (202) 888-6336, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon–Fri.
If you have questions or need assistance, the hotline team is standing by to help! Call (202) 888-6336, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon–Fri.
February 25, 2025 at 2:56 AM
DC families! The My School DC lottery application deadline for PK3 – Grade 8 is just ONE WEEK AWAY.
If you have questions or need assistance, the hotline team is standing by to help! Call (202) 888-6336, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon–Fri.
If you have questions or need assistance, the hotline team is standing by to help! Call (202) 888-6336, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon–Fri.
January 21, 2025 at 11:20 PM
NCAN's FAFSA Tracker on HS seniors' submissions and completions is live for the 2025-26 cycle. Data are through 1/10. Tracking year-over-year is a little tricky because we have to benchmark against the same week # of previous cycles. Updated Fridays! www.ncanfafsatracker.org
January 21, 2025 at 9:37 PM
NCAN's FAFSA Tracker on HS seniors' submissions and completions is live for the 2025-26 cycle. Data are through 1/10. Tracking year-over-year is a little tricky because we have to benchmark against the same week # of previous cycles. Updated Fridays! www.ncanfafsatracker.org
The finding that freshman enrollment actually *increased* in the Fall 2024 semester is surprising. The FAFSA-enrollment connection is long-established, and this is the first time I know of that the two metrics moved in opposing directions.
www.ncan.org/news/690973/...
www.ncan.org/news/690973/...
January 14, 2025 at 12:17 PM
The finding that freshman enrollment actually *increased* in the Fall 2024 semester is surprising. The FAFSA-enrollment connection is long-established, and this is the first time I know of that the two metrics moved in opposing directions.
www.ncan.org/news/690973/...
www.ncan.org/news/690973/...
Something odd here w/ the N 18 y/o chart. Is this NCES? WICHE has new projections. There's ~4M 12th grade students, public & private from now through 2029. The scale of your third chart suggests ~50% of 18-year-olds aren't HS grads, which would be a separate crisis. knocking.wiche.edu
December 11, 2024 at 6:40 PM
Something odd here w/ the N 18 y/o chart. Is this NCES? WICHE has new projections. There's ~4M 12th grade students, public & private from now through 2029. The scale of your third chart suggests ~50% of 18-year-olds aren't HS grads, which would be a separate crisis. knocking.wiche.edu
Very much appreciated @repbonamici.bsky.social’s remarks last night as an honorary co-host. A great champion for early childhood education.
December 8, 2024 at 2:53 PM
Very much appreciated @repbonamici.bsky.social’s remarks last night as an honorary co-host. A great champion for early childhood education.
Great night at the National Children’s Museum! Loved seeing all of the STEAM opportunities for kiddos
December 8, 2024 at 2:25 PM
Great night at the National Children’s Museum! Loved seeing all of the STEAM opportunities for kiddos
Attaching a screencap from the methods. "Additionally, the share of students with reported race/ethnicity Unknown has been rising over the period covered in this report." But where that shift has been occurring isn't knowable, at least at the level at which NSC reports.
December 3, 2024 at 2:47 PM
Attaching a screencap from the methods. "Additionally, the share of students with reported race/ethnicity Unknown has been rising over the period covered in this report." But where that shift has been occurring isn't knowable, at least at the level at which NSC reports.
18-year-old freshman enrollment was down 5% nationally year-over-year through October 31. This figure represents about 80% of institutions nationally.
With the FAFSA now open, it’s critical we reverse this enrollment slide for the class of 2025.
More at NCAN’s blog: www.ncan.org/news/688238/...
With the FAFSA now open, it’s critical we reverse this enrollment slide for the class of 2025.
More at NCAN’s blog: www.ncan.org/news/688238/...
December 2, 2024 at 9:54 PM
18-year-old freshman enrollment was down 5% nationally year-over-year through October 31. This figure represents about 80% of institutions nationally.
With the FAFSA now open, it’s critical we reverse this enrollment slide for the class of 2025.
More at NCAN’s blog: www.ncan.org/news/688238/...
With the FAFSA now open, it’s critical we reverse this enrollment slide for the class of 2025.
More at NCAN’s blog: www.ncan.org/news/688238/...
Thank you for the reassurance, mounted and framed tote bag.
November 24, 2024 at 3:56 PM
Thank you for the reassurance, mounted and framed tote bag.
Only 29% of high school leaders reported having five or more counselors at their school. This means about 70% of school leaders have essentially “one counselor per grade level” or one counselor responsible for every student whose last name ends with A through F. That’s a lot of students.
November 19, 2024 at 5:45 PM
Only 29% of high school leaders reported having five or more counselors at their school. This means about 70% of school leaders have essentially “one counselor per grade level” or one counselor responsible for every student whose last name ends with A through F. That’s a lot of students.
91% school leaders indicated that regular 1:1 meetings with counselors were a “top three” way students receive advising and support about different college and career readiness pathways. The next most popular were during an advisory period (54%) & intermittent or standalone programming (50%).
November 19, 2024 at 5:45 PM
91% school leaders indicated that regular 1:1 meetings with counselors were a “top three” way students receive advising and support about different college and career readiness pathways. The next most popular were during an advisory period (54%) & intermittent or standalone programming (50%).
Six categories of CCR supports garnered 70+% availability for students. The nuts and bolts and equity of the distribution almost certainly varies, but this is an encouraging sign in terms of broad availability.
November 19, 2024 at 5:45 PM
Six categories of CCR supports garnered 70+% availability for students. The nuts and bolts and equity of the distribution almost certainly varies, but this is an encouraging sign in terms of broad availability.
49% of HS leaders do not use data on student employment after graduation, & 42% do not use data on postsecondary advising (hours of advising, activities students have participated in). Schools have gotten better about using academic, attendance, and graduation data points. Why not these?
November 19, 2024 at 5:45 PM
49% of HS leaders do not use data on student employment after graduation, & 42% do not use data on postsecondary advising (hours of advising, activities students have participated in). Schools have gotten better about using academic, attendance, and graduation data points. Why not these?
Nearly 40% of HS leaders reported not having electronic access to postsecondary enrollment data. That's bad. Schools should understand where their students matriculate & how they fare when they get there. Big risk of continuing to send students to pathways that will not see them persist/complete.
November 19, 2024 at 5:45 PM
Nearly 40% of HS leaders reported not having electronic access to postsecondary enrollment data. That's bad. Schools should understand where their students matriculate & how they fare when they get there. Big risk of continuing to send students to pathways that will not see them persist/complete.
Live look at me ordering my dan dan noodles “extra ma la” from Sichuan Pavilion
November 18, 2024 at 5:01 PM
Live look at me ordering my dan dan noodles “extra ma la” from Sichuan Pavilion
"Can schools advise current and future classes effectively on their postsecondary pathways without knowing what happened to previous classes?"
My latest w/ Andy Schmitz from OneGoal. "Five Findings on How (and Whether) Schools Advise Students" www.ncan.org/news/687037/...
My latest w/ Andy Schmitz from OneGoal. "Five Findings on How (and Whether) Schools Advise Students" www.ncan.org/news/687037/...
November 18, 2024 at 2:48 PM
"Can schools advise current and future classes effectively on their postsecondary pathways without knowing what happened to previous classes?"
My latest w/ Andy Schmitz from OneGoal. "Five Findings on How (and Whether) Schools Advise Students" www.ncan.org/news/687037/...
My latest w/ Andy Schmitz from OneGoal. "Five Findings on How (and Whether) Schools Advise Students" www.ncan.org/news/687037/...