For the second year in a row, Synergy Alternative Program won a Governor's Award for the Connecticut FAFSA Challenge. The Governor's Award is presented to the school that showed the largest percentage point growth in FAFSA completion amongst similar sized schools, relative to the previous year.
This year, Synergy had a 26.8% percentage point increase in FAFSA completion rates, well above the 5-percentage point state goal.
"I'm so proud of how hard our team has worked to prioritize FAFSA completion with Synergy students," said Synergy Principal Craig Outhouse. "To be an alternative school and have a FAFSA completion rate over 50% is unheard of and to be in the top 11 in the state is beyond impressive."
Outhouse credits his staff members who continue to fight to get student FAFSAs completed and make sure they're aware of the college tuition dollars available to them.
In a congratulatory letter to Principal Outhouse and Superintendent Nathan Quesnel, Governor Ned Lamont and Commissioner of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker wrote, “The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) runs the FAFSA Challenge because we want all students to know that college and/or technical school is an option for them, and that tuition need not be a barrier to attendance. While not every student needs a postsecondary education to find professional fulfillment and success, too many students rule it out entirely because of concerns around affordability. That’s what this work aims to change – to broaden students’ imaginations for what is possible for them after they leave our schools, regardless of their intention at the beginning of their senior year.”