Deportation Fears Drive Sharp Drop in FAFSA Applications

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Key Takeaways

• FAFSA completions dropped by 25% in California; mixed-status family applicants saw a 44% decrease by February 2025.
• Fear of deportation, particularly in mixed-status families, deters students from applying, despite no official policy linking FAFSA to deportations.
• FAFSA declines could lead to lower college enrollments; class of 2024 applications trail 10% behind class of 2023 figures.

Fewer students across the United States are completing FAFSA applications, with a recent decline heavily linked to growing fears of deportation within immigrant communities. For students from mixed-status families, where at least one family member lacks legal immigration status, these fears are particularly intense. This trend signals a broader concern about how immigration policies may obstruct access to higher education.

Alarming drop in FAFSA completion rates

Deportation Fears Drive Sharp Drop in FAFSA Applications

The numbers paint a troubling picture. In California 🇺🇸, FAFSA completions have fallen sharply. As of February 2025, 48,000 fewer high school seniors had completed the application compared to the previous year. This represents a striking 25% drop, according to the California Student Aid Commission. The decline is even more severe among students with at least one undocumented parent, where completion rates have decreased by 44%. Among this group, just 17,000 students applied for FAFSA compared to 30,000 the previous year.

Nationally, the trend mirrors California’s challenges. Data from the Office of Federal Student Aid shows a 40% reduction in FAFSA completions by high school seniors through March 2024. Only 27% of the graduating class of 2024 applied for federal aid by this time, compared to 45.5% of the class of 2023. The effects of these declines could severely impact college enrollment for thousands of students.

The California Student Aid Commission has called the situation a “crisis.” With mixed-status families disproportionately affected, the fear of providing personal information to federal agencies is driving students to avoid the FAFSA process altogether. Although no official plans to use FAFSA data for deportations exist, unease surrounding immigration policies has taken a notable toll.

New guidance creates further complications

Organizations that typically promote FAFSA completion have shifted their approach. The National College Attainment Network (NCAN), in an unprecedented move, released a cautionary statement in November 2024. The statement warned students with undocumented parents or family members about filling out FAFSA forms. Though intended to protect these students, this guidance underscores the extent of fear within immigrant communities.

Nonprofits and advocacy groups are exploring workarounds to help students. A Texas-based organization, ImmSchools, has encouraged students to use the paper version of FAFSA instead of the online form. The paper application avoids directly asking if the applicant or their parents have Social Security Numbers (SSNs), allowing students to bypass that question. However, even this approach cannot fully shield families from the broader uncertainties linked to federal aid applications.

Beyond FAFSA: Broader impacts on education and families

The drop in FAFSA completion is just one aspect of how deportation fears are affecting young people. For many, the anxiety goes deeper. Some students are proactively seeking dual citizenship in their parents’ home countries, preparing for a scenario in which family members face deportation. This highlights how immigration policies shape decisions about education, financial aid, and long-term stability within these families.

Educational institutions are also responding to this new reality. Colleges and universities, especially in states like California 🇺🇸, are developing protocols to prepare for potential visits by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The California Community Colleges system has made it clear that it does not collect immigration-related data on students and will release identifiable information only if legally required by a court. Such policies aim to reassure students but may not entirely ease their concerns.

FAFSA completions are a key indicator of future college enrollment. Declines in FAFSA applications have historically been linked to lower enrollment rates. For instance, the high school graduating classes of 2020 and 2021 saw FAFSA completion rates drop by 2%, which contributed to sharp declines in immediate college enrollment rates. Based on current figures, the class of 2024 is projected to have an even larger gap, with FAFSA applications trailing 10% behind the class of 2023. Should this trend continue, institutions may see fewer students, particularly from mixed-status families, enrolling in higher education.

Policy changes and unresolved fears

The Trump administration’s immigration decisions have contributed to the current climate of fear. One of Trump’s first actions as president was rescinding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) during his initial term. Although existing DACA recipients can renew their status, new applications remain frozen due to ongoing legal battles. Another landmark change was the elimination of birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. 🇺🇸 to undocumented parents. These policy shifts have fueled uncertainty, particularly among families fearing how additional information shared with the government might be used.

Even technical improvements to the FAFSA process haven’t assuaged these fears. For instance, the U.S. Department of Education beta tested the 2025-2026 FAFSA form between October and November 2024, allowing over 167,000 users to submit their applications. This test phase revealed no critical issues, a notable improvement compared to past years. Yet, these enhanced user experiences are unlikely to encourage mixed-status families to complete FAFSA forms amidst their broader concerns.

Challenges for counselors and educational advisors

On the front lines, advisors and counselors face difficult choices. While their role is to help students secure financial aid and pursue higher education, they must also consider families’ fears of deportation. Some advisors, like Elizabeth House from Greenville County Schools in South Carolina 🇺🇸, continue to urge students to apply regardless of immigration status. However, maintaining this stance becomes more challenging when students worry that FAFSA data might one day be used against them.

Many mixed-status families also face unique hurdles in completing FAFSA applications, beyond the fear of deportation. Parents who are unfamiliar with higher education processes in the U.S. 🇺🇸 find it especially difficult to navigate, particularly if they didn’t attend college themselves. Students often report having to set up email accounts for their parents, deal with unsigned tax documents, or translate these documents from their parents’ languages—typically Spanish—to English. These added burdens further discourage participation in the FAFSA process.

A broader impact on educational access

The downward trend in FAFSA completions and the uncertainty in mixed-status households could have long-term consequences. A decline in college enrollment among these students impacts more than just individual opportunities—it undermines educational equity and could reshape the future workforce in states like California 🇺🇸 and across the U.S. Undocumented students and those from mixed-status families often face systemic barriers, and the current policies exacerbate these challenges.

As policy official David Hawkins has noted, fears about filling out FAFSA forms are not entirely new for these families. But the heightened dangers of deportation, coupled with ambiguous assurances about data protection, have amplified the stakes. Advocacy groups, educational leaders, and policymakers must address these issues head-on to prevent future generations from experiencing similar challenges.

Educational institutions and nonprofits are already working to reassure families. However, as long as mixed-status families believe their data could be used against them, FAFSA completion rates are unlikely to recover fully. This underscores the importance of clear, consistent messaging about how FAFSA information is handled and safeguarded.

Conclusion

As deportation fears continue to grow, FAFSA applications from certain groups of students are experiencing alarming declines. The ongoing challenges for mixed-status families highlight the crucial intersection of immigration policies and access to higher education. With fewer students completing FAFSA applications, barriers to college admission may widen, affecting not only students but also colleges, communities, and future economic growth. Advocacy groups, educational leaders, and policymakers must work together to address these pressing concerns. For more detailed information about FAFSA processes and resources, the official Federal Student Aid website is a helpful resource: Federal Student Aid.

By prioritizing protections for immigrant families and ensuring access to financial aid without fear, we can help create opportunities for all young people to pursue their educational goals—regardless of their family’s immigration status.

Learn Today

FAFSA → Free Application for Federal Student Aid; a form used by U.S. students to apply for financial aid for college.
Mixed-status families → Households where family members have different immigration statuses, such as some being undocumented and others having legal status.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) → A U.S. policy that offers temporary protection and work authorization to certain undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) → A federal agency tasked with enforcing immigration laws, including arrest and deportation of individuals without legal status.
Birthright citizenship → The legal right to citizenship for anyone born in a country, regardless of parental immigration status (e.g., U.S-born children of undocumented parents).

This Article in a Nutshell

Rising FAFSA fears: Education at risk
Deportation fears are keeping thousands of U.S. students from mixed-status families from completing FAFSA applications. This alarming trend widens access disparities in higher education. Advocacy groups urge protective measures and transparent policies, but the fallout continues. Without action, declining FAFSA rates could reshape college enrollment, deepening inequities in America’s future workforce.
— By VisaVerge.com