Arizona Board of Regents launches College Ready AZ FAFSA Scholarship

The Arizona Board of Regents has announced the College Ready AZ FAFSA Scholarship, a new statewide initiative designed to encourage Arizona high school seniors and their families to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and pursue higher education. 

With support from the Arizona Community Foundation, Helios Education Foundation and Valley of the Sun United Way, the $50,000 fund will provide a one-time scholarship award of $2,000 to 25 Arizona high school seniors who plan to attend one of Arizona’s public universities or community colleges immediately after graduation.

“Every Arizona student and family should complete the FAFSA,” said Doug Goodyear, chair of the Arizona Board of Regents. “Thanks to our partners’ commitment to FAFSA completion and college access, we’re able to offer this new financial incentive. Together, we’re helping more students take that important step and break down barriers to higher education.”

To qualify, students must complete the 2026–27 FAFSA, submit a scholarship application through College Ready AZ and respond to a short essay prompt provided by the Arizona Community Foundation. The prompt asks students to explain how receiving this scholarship would support their personal and education journey, as well as how they hope to give back to their Arizona community through their education. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis from November through April, with recipients announced monthly. Each winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship and a personalized letter of congratulations.

Students can apply for the scholarship here. 

“The Arizona Community Foundation is committed to providing access to high quality education for all Arizona students. FAFSA completion is key step in the process to making that access possible,” said Lorenzo Chavez, Executive Director of Education and Scholarships for the Arizona Community Foundation. “Supporting this scholarship is part of our commitment to helping young people unlock opportunities and build brighter futures for themselves and our communities.”

The scholarship reflects a statewide commitment to postsecondary access and student success. By removing financial barriers and emphasizing FAFSA completion, the program opens doors to federal and state grants, work-study opportunities, scholarships and low-interest loans.

Arizona high school seniors leave over $100 million in Pell Grants unclaimed each year simply by not completing the FAFSA. Completing the FAFSA is widely recognized as one of the best predictors of college enrollment. Students who complete the FAFSA are 84% more likely to enroll in postsecondary education immediately after high school. For students from low-income backgrounds, FAFSA completion is linked to a 127% increase in immediate college enrollment. 

"The College Ready AZ FAFSA Scholarship demonstrates how public and philanthropic organizations can collaborate to eliminate financial obstacles for high school seniors looking to pursue postsecondary education," Vince Yanez, Senior Vice President of Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships for Helios Education Foundation. "As a partner in this initiative, Helios is proud to support the scholarship and remains deeply committed to expanding college access for all students, with a focus on those from low-income and historically underrepresented backgrounds." 

After two straight FAFSA cycles plagued by delays and technical challenges, Federal Student Aid released a revamped FAFSA form on schedule this year with improvements designed to streamline the process. Key upgrades include instant verification with the Social Security Administration and a simplified parent email invitation process. Students and families can now complete the form in as a little as 15-30 minutes. 

The new form is already driving FAFSA completion among Arizona students, with 20.23% of current high school seniors having completed it as of November 17th. Over the past five FAFSA cycles, Arizona ranked in the top 10 nationally in year-over-year FAFSA completion improvement. In the 2025-26 cycle, the state met its 40% completion goal and ranked sixth nationally in year-over-year improvement. Building on that momentum, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced a statewide FAFSA completion goal of 48% for the class of 2026 during the board’s FAFSA and College Readiness Symposium earlier this year.   

“At Valley of the Sun United Way, we know that when students have access to the resources they need, entire communities thrive,” said Carla Vargas Jasa, President and CEO of Valley of the Sun United Way. “Supporting this scholarship is about more than financial aid, it’s about empowering young people to reach their goals and helping Arizona build a brighter future.”

In addition to the scholarship, the board is spearheading a number of initiatives to boost FAFSA completion. The 50 by Fall campaign offers financial incentives to Title I and public high schools that achieve a 50% FAFSA completion rate amongst their senior class by Dec. 31. The board also expanded its nationally recognized FAFSA Peer Coach Program, which now includes more than 225 student coaches across Maricopa and Pima counties trained to help their peers navigate the FAFSA and college financial aid. 

To ensure students and families have the tools, resources and additional support to help them complete the FAFSA, Arizonans are encouraged to visit the board’s college readiness website CollegeReadyAZ.com. College Ready AZ makes it easy to plan, apply and prepare for college at one of Arizona’s public universities.