Started in 2021, the Kansas FAFSA Challenge is a statewide FAFSA completion competition among Kansas high schools. Schools will be grouped by size and recognized in two different categories, Highest Completion Rate & Most Improved Completion Rate.
Competition Structure
The Kansas FAFSA Challenge will be active from October 1*, when the FAFSA opens, until June 30 each year. We use senior class size data as reported to KSDE, and the completion numbers for this year and last are reported by FAFSA state-wide data. The winning schools will be announced and recognized annually by both the Kansas Board of Regents and the Kansas State Board of Education at the joint September board meeting. *The 2024-2025 FAFSA application will open for students around January 1, 2024
Track your progress with the Kansas FAFSA Tracker
The new Kansas FAFSA Tracker allows schools to see weekly updates of their FAFSA completion percentages. This website shows a calculated FAFSA percentage for every Kansas High School* and creates a leaderboard for Kansas high schools and each KSHSAA division.
(*Schools will only show on the leaderboard if they have at least 1 FAFSA completion for this year. Click the FAFSA state-wide data to see the most recent number of FAFSA completions for your school, if you do not see your school listed)
If you see an error or cannot find your school contact:
To see a brief walk thru on how to use the Kansas FAFSA Tracker website: Kansas FAFSA Tracker Demo Video (7 mins)
2023 Kansas FAFSA Challenge Winners
(Click on the picture above for an interactive map of our 2023 Kansas FAFSA Challenge Winners)
2023 Kansas FAFSA Challenge Winners & top 5 schools in each category
*indicates winning school in each category
6A
| Highest Completion Rate | Most improved over last year | Improved | |||
|
*Blue Valley Northwest HS |
59.3% |
|
*Wichita High School Northwest |
59% |
+60% |
|
Blue Valley West High School |
59.2% |
|
J.C. Harmon High School |
36% |
+33% |
|
Wichita High School Northwest |
59.1% |
|
Liberal Senior High School |
40% |
+31% |
|
Wichita High School South |
58.4% |
|
Wichita High School West |
39% |
+26% |
|
Olathe East High School |
58.3% |
|
Wichita High School South |
58% |
+25% |
5A
| Highest Completion Rate | Most improved over last year | Improved | |||
|
*Sumner Academy of Arts & Science |
83% |
|
*Newton High School |
53% |
+28% |
|
Kapaun Mt Carmel Catholic High School |
72% |
|
Maize South High School |
63% |
+22% |
|
St. James Academy |
67% |
|
Eisenhower High School |
63% |
+20% |
|
St. Thomas Aquinas High School |
65% |
|
Spring Hill High School |
55% |
+17% |
|
Maize South High School |
63% |
|
Topeka West High School |
44% |
+16% |
4A
| Highest Completion Rate | Most improved over last year | Improved | |||
|
*Hayden Catholic High School |
74% |
|
*Rose Hill High School |
55% |
+70% |
|
Clay Center Community High School |
70% |
|
Wellington High School |
51% |
+68% |
|
Eudora High School |
65% |
|
Abilene High School |
55% |
+44% |
|
Louisburg High School |
63% |
|
Wamego High School |
61% |
+31% |
|
Bishop Miege High School |
63% |
|
Louisburg High School |
63% |
+27% |
3A
| Highest Completion Rate | Most improved over last year | Improved | |||
|
*Humboldt High School |
100% |
|
*Atchison Co. Community Junior/Senior High School |
62% |
+148% |
|
Silver Lake Jr/Sr High School |
81% |
|
Maur Hill-Mount Academy |
67% |
+59% |
|
Southeast of Saline High School |
76% |
|
Lyons High School |
58% |
+53% |
|
Bishop Ward High School |
76% |
|
Hoisington High School |
70% |
+43% |
|
Smoky Valley High School |
73% |
|
Larned Senior High School |
55% |
+41% |
2A
| Highest Completion Rate | Most improved over last year | Improved | |||
|
*Wichita County Jr-Sr High School |
85% |
|
*Jefferson County North HS |
64% |
+77% |
|
West Elk Schools |
85% |
|
Uniontown High School |
50% |
+66% |
|
Ellis Jr/Sr High School |
83% |
|
West Elk Schools |
85% |
+64% |
|
Smith Center Jr/Sr High School |
79% |
|
Pleasant Ridge High School |
50% |
+62% |
|
Sterling Jr/Sr High School |
77% |
|
Inman Jr/Sr High School |
58% |
+61% |
1A
| Highest Completion Rate | Most improved over last year | Improved | |||
|
*Axtell High School |
100% |
|
*Brewster High School |
100% |
+120% |
|
*Brewster High School |
100% |
|
Burrton Middle & High School |
63% |
+113% |
|
*Kiowa County High School |
100% |
|
Greeley County Jr/Sr High School |
69% |
+107% |
|
*Tipton Catholic High School |
100% |
|
Lakeside Jr/Sr High School |
77% |
+102% |
|
Deerfield High School |
88% |
|
Udall High School |
39% |
+84% |
| Wilson Jr/Sr High School | 88% |
Virtual Schools & Academies
| Highest Completion Rate | Most improved over last year | Improved | |||
|
*Northeast Magnet High School |
63% |
|
*Kansas Connections Academy |
37% |
+76% |
|
Maize Virtual Preparatory School |
53% |
|
Garden City Achieve |
44% |
+39% |
|
Garden City Achieve |
44% |
|
Lawrence Virtual School |
44% |
+28% |
|
Lawrence Virtual School |
44% |
|
Insight School of Kansas | 14% | +7% |
|
Hope Street Charter Academy |
42% |
|
Kansas FAFSA Stats
- 389 high schools in Kansas
- As of June 2023 our state wide FAFSA completion rate was 49.8% This is 2% higher* than 2022. (*National FAFSA Tracker)
- Our goal is to have all Kansas high schools move toward a FAFSA completion rate of 60% in the next 5 years
Let's reach for 60%!
There are 96 Kansas High Schools with a FAFSA Completion percentage above 60%. Let's see how many more schools we can add to this list next year!
A video with some of the 2021 Winners
FAFSA Event Resources
One of the best ways to increase FAFSA completion rates and support your students and families in navigating the FAFSA is by holding a FAFSA completion event at your school. Listed below are some lessons & resources you can share with your school community. Everything you need to plan, experts to call, and steps to follow to host a FAFSA event for your students & parents.
Planning a FAFSA Completion Event
FAFSA & Financial Aid Resources
FAFSA Completion Event Webinar Recording- January 21, 2021
Kansas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (KASFAA)- Counselor Training Webinars