In the last school year, more than three out of four public and private high school seniors — 76.5 percent — have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. The form makes them eligible for a wide range of federal assistance, including Pell grants, work study programs and loans for four-year colleges as well as community and technical schools.

Just a few years ago, Louisiana trailed much of the nation in the number of high school seniors seeking college aid.

Now the state ranks No. 1 in student applications for federal dollars, ending a long-standing complaint that students were leaving $50 million or more of potential college aid on the table every year.

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