Executive Order Establishing FAFSA Completion Campaign

EXECUTIVE ORDER 25-08 EST ABLISHING THE W ASHINGTON COMPLETES F AFSA CAMP AIGN WHEREAS, W ashington is commit ted to providing a quality educ ation for all students, helping them to achieve their highest potential; and WHEREAS, all W ashingtonians deserve the opportunity to pursue higher educa tion, a registered apprenticeship, or other technical training to earn postsecondary degrees or certifications that allow them to achieve personal goals and obtain meaningful employment; and WHEREAS, W ashington is projected to generate 1.5 million job openings across ke y sectors, and approximately 75% of those job openings will require e ducation and credentials beyond high school. The W ashington Business Roundtable projects a shortfall of nearly 600,0 00 skilled workers by 2032, including a deficit of 301,000 workers with bachelor's a nd advanced degrees, 67,000 with associate degrees, and 228,000 with certifications, apprentic eships, and other training credentials; and WHEREAS, students and families cite af fordability as their biggest barrier to enrolling in college or pursuing a training credential; and WHEREAS, W ashington state remains the most generous in the nation for state-based financial aid through W ashington Coll ege Grant (W A G rant); and WHEREAS, even though nearly half of W ashington households qualify to receive financial aid through W A Grant, W ashington consistently ranks in the bottom five states for completion of financial aid applications; and WHEREAS, completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (F AFSA) is the first step a student must take to determine their eligibility for numer ous federal, state, and institutional aid and scholarship programs, such as the federal Pell grant, the W A Grant, the College Bound Scholarship, and the W as hington Opportunity Scholarship; and WHEREAS, students and families who do not complete their financial aid applications lea ve money on the table, while students who complete their financial aid application unlock greater access, af fordability, and success in postsecondary education and training; and WHEREAS, the W ashington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) is a cabinet-level state agency char g ed with increasing educational attainment and managing the state financial aid programs; and

2 WHEREAS, supporting students, families, and educators requires a collaborative ef fort that includes schools, local communities, and or ganizations working together to help students complete their financial aid applications; and WHEREAS, my administration is committed to promoting access to fina ncial aid and increasing the number of W ashington students who complete and submit the F AFS A; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bob Fer guson, Governor of the state of W ashington, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the statutes of the state of W ashington, do hereby order and direct the following: 1. Establishing a W ashington Completes F AFSA Campaign The W ashington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) shall carry out a W ashington C ompletes F AFSA Ca mpaign to increase the number of W ashington students who complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (F AFSA) during their senior year of high school. 2. Creating a W ashington Completes F AFSA Advisory Board a. WSAC shall consult with the Governor ’ s Office to create a statewide W ashington Completes F AFSA Advis ory Board to provide recommendations regarding all W ashington Completes F AFSA Campaign ac tivities, including local and statewide events, training, and marketing, and to monitor statewide progress toward the annual goal. b. WSAC shall invite the following representatives to participate a s members of the W ashington Completes F AFSA Advisory Board: • A high school counselor; • T wo to five student leaders; • A high school principal; • A representative of district superintendents; • A representative from the Of fic e of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI); • Thr ee representatives from higher education: o one from a public four -year college or university, o one from a community or technical college, and o one from an independent, not-for -profit college or university; • A representative of a comm unity-based or ganization that works with students and families on college counseling; and

3 • A representative from the W ashington philanthropic community. c. WSAC shall strive for diversity on the W ashington Completes F AFSA Advi sory Board, and shall include representatives from diverse communities in diffe rent geographical areas of W ashington, including underserved communities. d. WSAC shall coordinate and consult with other youth advisory boards and youth groups to amplify student voices on the W ashington Completes F AFSA Ad visory Board. e. By November 15, 2025, W SAC shall appoint and convene the W ashington Completes F AFSA Advisory Board for its i nitial meeting. 3. Establishing a statewide financial aid goal a. In consultation with the W ashington Completes F AFSA Advisory Board, WSAC shall establish a statewide F AF SA completion goal for each aca demic year, starting with 2026-2027. Thereafter, WSAC will set annual goals to track pro gress in increasing F AFS A completion rates. b. WSAC shall identify schools and districts with the lowest F AFSA completion rates to track progress. 4. Support for W ashin gton schools and school districts a. WSAC shall develop and execute a plan to support school districts, schools, and local partnerships to meet the statewide F AFSA completion goal set for the school year. b. WSAC shall provide technical assistance and tools to support schools to set up their own local goals to increase F AFSA completion. 5. Relentless focus on r eal-time outcomes and data a. WSAC shall continue to publish its F AFSA Completion for High School Seniors dashboard to track statewide, district, and individual school progress on F AFSA completion rates. b. The dashboard shall continue to be disaggregated by income levels to track progress or identify gaps for low-income students accessing federa l or state-based financial aid. c. WSAC shall update the dashboard weekly to enable districts to track progress toward F AFS A completion rate goals.

4 6. Coordinating with community partnerships a. WSAC shall ensure that community partners already working to increase F AFS A completion rates are integrated into the W ashington Completes F AFSA Campaign, that free training and resources are made a vailable to all schools, school districts, and interested community partners, and that WSAC’ s AI-assisted chatbot, OtterBot, is leveraged to provide cost-ef fective support for students and families as they complete a F AFSA application and pursue a postsecondary pathway. 7. Annual reporting of pr ogress a. By October 31, 2026, and annually thereafter, th e W ashington C ompletes F AFSA Advisory Board shall submit a report of its annual progress and actions for the coming academic year to the Governor. This Executive Order shall be implemented consistent with applicable la w. P rovisions of this Order are not intended to alter any e xisting collective bar gaining agreements. This Orde r is not intended to confer and does not confer any legal right or entitlement and shall not be used as a basis for legal challenges to any rule or any other action or inaction of the governme ntal entities and employees subject to it. This Order shall take ef fect immediately. Signed and sealed with the of ficial seal of the state of W ashington on this 19th day of September, AD, T wo Thousand and T wenty-Five, at Renton, W ashington. By: /s/ Bob Fer guson Governor BY THE GOVERNOR /s/ Secretary of State