Athletes from Arizona’s public universities step up to boost FAFSA awareness

The Arizona Board of Regents is teaming up with the athletic departments at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona to launch a new campaign aimed at helping more students access financial aid. The message comes from some of the most recognizable faces on campus – student-athletes. 

With the Free Application for Federal Student Aid opening early on Sept. 24, the board will roll out a tri-university public service campaign featuring student-athletes from all three state universities. The campaign encourages Arizona high school and college students to complete the FAFSA.  

“Student-athletes’ leadership, visibility and influence make them powerful advocates, and we are proud they have joined forces with us to help open the door to college affordability by promoting FAFSA,” said ABOR Chair Doug Goodyear. 

The campaign features individual videos from standout athletes across sports and campuses: 

• ASU: Jordyn Tyson (football), Cole Carlon (baseball), Jayden Davis (track), Yannixa Acuña (softball), Bailey Miller (volleyball) 
• NAU: Audrey Taylor (women’s basketball), Oakland Fort (men’s basketball), Tausagafou “Fou” Ho Ching (football) 
• U of A: Achol Magot (women’s basketball), Anyssa Wild (softball), Haven Wray (volleyball), Koa Peat (men’s basketball), Tre Spivey (football) 

The campaign, which launches on Sept. 25, will be amplified in collaboration with university athletic departments. By using student-athletes as messengers, the board aims to reinforce the message that financial aid is available. During the last FAFSA cycle, Arizona high school students left more than $100 million in Pell Grant dollars unclaimed.  

The campaign is part of a broader effort to prioritize FAFSA completion as a statewide priority. Over the past five FAFSA cycles, Arizona ranked in the top 10 nationally in year-over-year FAFSA completion improvement. This includes the 2025-26 cycle, where the state met its 40% completion goal and ranked sixth nationally in year-over-year improvement. Building on that momentum, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced a new statewide FAFSA completion goal of 48% for the Class of 2026 during the board’s FAFSA and College Readiness Symposium earlier this month.  

The board launched its 50 by Fall initiative earlier this month, offering financial incentives to Title I and public high schools that did not meet last year’s 40% FAFSA completion goal. The initiative encourages schools to reach 50% FAFSA completion among their senior class by Dec. 31.  

The board also announced the expansion of its nationally recognized FAFSA Peer Coach Program into southern Arizona. The program now includes more than 225 students peer coaches across 50 schools in Maricopa and Pima counties.   

This student-athlete campaign builds on previous partnerships with athletic organizations to promote FAFSA completion. Earlier this year, the board teamed up with the Arizona Cactus League and the Arizona Diamondbacks to offer free spring training and regular season tickets to students who submitted their FAFSA forms.  

To ensure students and families have the tools and support needed to complete the FAFSA, visit the board’s college readiness website, CollegeReadyAZ.com. The college planning site helps students plan, apply and prepare for college at one of Arizona’s public universities.  

FAFSA resources available at College Ready AZ include: 

• Virtual one-on-one appointments 
• Federal Student Aid and FAFSA support webinars 
• Arizona FAFSA hotline 
• Ask Benji, a FAFSA-dedicated chat bot 
• Support via text messages 
• FAFSA pro tips 
• Arizona College Connect (a tool for high school educators to track FASFA completion) 

With the help of collegiate student-athletes, the board is expanding its playbook for the success of Arizona’s students.