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Chart Summary:

LAUSD leads the county and state in the rate of financial aid applications submitted by graduating high school students from 2020 to 2024. These applications include the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and California Dream Act Applications (CADAA); submission rates serve as an important indicator of college access and affordability. The LAUSD rate is 15 to 20 percentage points higher than the statewide rate in each year; for example, 77 percent of LAUSD graduating students submitted financial aid applications versus 61 percent statewide in 2024.

Further, recent years witnessed a general upward trend in financial aid submissions within each geographic area, despite considerable year-to-year variability. Rates dipped in 2021, rose in 2023, and dipped again in 2024. We suspect that the 2021 drop was due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 increase is most likely due to the statewide graduation requirement implemented in that year as a result of AB132. The 2024 decline may be a result of confusion resulting from significant changes in the 2024 FAFSA application process and deadlines.