- A. Except as provided for in subsection B of this section, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, in order to graduate from a public high school accredited by the State Board of Education, students shall complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
B. A student shall not be required to comply with the provisions of subsection A of this section if:
- 1. The student’s parent or legal guardian submits a signed form authorizing the student to opt out of the requirement of subsection A of this section;
- 2. A student age eighteen (18) or older submits a signed form authorizing him or her to opt out of the requirement of subsection A of this section; or
- 3. A school counselor authorizes a student to opt out of the requirement of subsection A of this section.
C. The State Department of Education shall develop and publish:
- 1. Materials for students, parents, and legal guardians explaining the requirements to complete the FAFSA, the benefits to completing the FAFSA, and the opt-out provisions described in subsection B of this section; and
- 2. An opt-out form to be used by school districts, charter schools, and virtual charter schools for the purposes outlined in subsection B of this section.
- D. The superintendent of each school district in this state shall designate a school employee to collect information regarding student compliance with subsection A or B of this section. The collection and storage of the information shall comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).
- E. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section, which shall address the method by which a student is to provide proof to a school district, public charter school, or virtual charter school that the student has completed and submitted the FAFSA as required by subsection A of this section.
Laws 2023, SB 93, c. 206, § 1, emerg. eff. July 1, 2023.