Memorable moments of a student's high school graduation often include walking across a stage to accept a diploma and celebrating with family at a graduation party.

In a growing number of states, however, students must first fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, before getting to that moment.

The FAFSA is required for a student to be eligible for federal student loans, grants or federal work-study, and often to qualify for state and institutional scholarships. To boost FAFSA completion rates and encourage college enrollment, the following states currently require all public high school seniors to submit the FAFSA in order to graduate, according to the National College Attainment Network:

This requirement will also be new for high school graduates in Connecticut, Indiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York and Oklahoma in the 2024-2025 academic year, according to NCAN, a nonprofit organization that advocates for educational equity. Kansas also announced a FAFSA requirement that will go into effect in the 2027-2028 school year.

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Some states are making it a priority rather than a requirement. Colorado, for instance, established a grant program for school........

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