Loudonville-Perrysville Schools lead state in FAFSA completion

LOUDONVILLE — Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Village Schools boasted a 100% completion rate for the Federal Application for Free Student Aid, according to the Ohio FAFSA Completion Dashboard.

That rate places the district at the top of the state, ranked first for FAFSA completion out of 606 school districts in Ohio. It’s higher than the statewide completion rate, which sits at 61.9%; and is higher than the national rate, which is at 58.9%.

The district’s number one ranking comes from the Dashboard’s latest statistics, updated Sept. 30, 2023.

‘It was about persistence’

A press release from the district Friday lauded Dave Lance, a guidance counselor at Loudonville High School, for his work to achieve the district’s high completion rate.

“That was obviously my goal,” Lance said. “It was about persistence. I had parents who were interested in throwing in the towel, but I made myself available to them whenever they needed — before and after school — to help get it done.”

Lance also told Ashland Source he brought in representatives from Ashland University’s financial aid office to talk to students about FAFSA completion. They answered questions about navigating the form, Lance said.

Lance also clarified the 100% completion rate doesn’t mean every student at the school completed the form. Rather, that rate indicates that all the students interested in higher education filled it out.

In the district’s press release, Supt. Jennifer Allerding commended Lance and the rest of the guidance staff at Loudonville-Perrysville Schools.

“We aim to do whatever we can to support our students and their career goals, and completing the FAFSA and understanding their options for the cost of post-secondary education is critical,” Allerding said.

“Dave (Lance) and our guidance team are working hard to make these things happen, and we are grateful for their efforts.”

Filling out the FAFSA

Lance said this year has posed extra challenges to helping students complete the FAFSA.

That’s due to a new form launching this year. That new form, according to previous Ashland Source reporting, came with the goal of making things easier for families, particularly those with low-income students.

But the new form has faced criticism this year for a slow rollout.

Lance said that slow rollout poses a challenge for students as they’re selecting schools this spring.

Still, Lance is focused on what’s ahead — and his next push is making sure students meet scholarship deadlines. He said many deadlines are on the horizon and he’ll be working with students to get them across the finish line.

This independent, local reporting provided by our Report for America Corps members is brought to you in part by the generous support of the Ashland County Community Foundation.