Most Innovative Player

ARIZONA FAFSA CHALLENGE: October 2022

Congratulations to Millennium High School!

The Innovative Player award recognizes Arizona high schools throughout the school year for their innovative efforts and work in FAFSA completion. Read about the FAFSA best practices that have encouraged the seniors of Independence High School to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

  • Students on Computer
  • Advisor working with students
  • Students looking at paperwork

Millennium High School Innovative Efforts -

  • Peer Coach Program Launch - The key in our successful launch was creating a dynamic Peer Coach team. The peer coach advisors selected four peer coaches based on counselor and student recommendations. The peers coaches are all go getters, intelligent, hardworking, respected, and well known on campus. FAFSA. Each brings a unique perspective and quality to the team.
  • Trainings - We participated in the statewide FAFSA boot camp trainings and the peer coaches and advisors attended online trainings through the FAFSA Peer Coach Program.
  • Social Media & Millennium TV - Students completed a video to promote FAFSA. Ongoing: Peer coaches promote FAFSA during college and career events AND during High School Football games (in the student section). Ongoing: Instagram & Facebook Posts with pictures of students in action.
  • FSA ID - Peer coaches visited all Government classes to remind students to bring SS# number to class on the following Friday to complete their FSA IDs. October 7, 2022- Peer Coaches completed FSA ID lessons in all Government classes.
  • FAFSA Virtual Night (Zoom) - Approximately 45 students & parents in attendance. Counselors, peer coaches, and advisors also attended. Counselors promoted this event through the Remind App and motivated participation by sharing that we were giving away three $25 Amazon gift cards. The program advisors used the Wheel of Names to select three winners at the end of the meeting. Elizabeth Christensen from GCC presented a 15 minute FAFSA overview, Diana Mateer from College Depot presented for 15 minutes about FAFSA Myths. There was 20 minutes of Q and A with excellent questions from the attendees. A bilingual counselor helped translate through the chat feature.
  • Millennium High School FAFSA Completion Night (In Person) - Peer coaches visited all Government classes to remind seniors about our in person FAFSA Completion Night. To motivate students and increase student motivation, peer coaches gave away one $10 Sonic gift card to the first student in each class to show proof of FAFSA completion. Peer coaches also shared with students that there will be pizza and prizes and the event. Counselors promoted the event on social media and by using the Remind App. Five experts from the community helped families complete the FAFSA. Grand Canyon University donated pizza for 100 families. The Peer Coach program provided the funding to buy refreshments and gift cards to give away.
  • Peer Coach Team Debrief and Planning - The team will discuss successes and challenges of our program and make a plan to increase FAFSA completion the 2nd semester.

What do you believe is the most beneficial thing about having peer coaches on campus? What are you most proud of?

“The best part about having peer coaches is that students can come to us with questions, and we can provide relatable advice and important information. It makes the FAFSA process more accessible! II am most proud of how committed our Peer Coach team is. The team has a lot of fun working with individual students during classroom visits.”

- Emily S.

What do you believe you have added to the Peer Coach team? What are you most proud of?

“I believe I have added a sense of enthusiasm to the team. I’m most proud of our ability to express how important all of this really is for our futures. We are really getting that message across to the students in a manner where they are understanding its importance.”

- Eryn J.

What makes the Millennium Peer coaches an exceptional team? What are you most proud of?

“The thing that makes our team exceptional is the energy we have and our team work. I believe our team is super outgoing. We are able to work together and communicate with each other very easily. I’m most proud of the responses we are getting and participation from the students when we go to their classes.”

- Kellen J.

What is your favorite part about being a peer coach advisor? What are you most proud of?

“I really enjoy working with the kids and seeing the ideas that the peer coaches come up with to promote FAFSA. I especially appreciate when Tyler screams around campus: Do you FAFSA! Tyler lives for it, and it makes us all laugh. I am most proud of our social media work that we used to promote the program.”

- Monique Mesa, Millennium High School College & Career Specialist, Peer Coach Advisor