Washington Completes FAFSA Campaign - Advisory Board

Background & Purpose

The Washington Completes FAFSA Campaign Advisory Board is established by the Governor’s Office and led by WSAC. Its purpose is to align statewide efforts that increase financial aid application completion. Multiple agencies, organizations, and partners receive state funds to support FAFSA/WASFA filing, yet full, cross-sector coordination has been limited, and Washington continues to rank in the bottom when it comes to FAFSA completion rates.

The advisory board provides a structured venue for partners to build connections, coordinate implementation, and strengthen the collective impact of financial aid completion efforts. The board will:

Support connecting agencies, schools’ districts, community-based organizations, professional associations and regional partners working to increase financial aid completion
Support statewide, regional, and local campaign activities to reduce duplication, identify gaps, and extend the reach of existing resources.
Use members professional networks to share information, strengthen partnerships, and support consistent implementation across communities
Identify implementation barriers and develop practical strategies that improve equitable access to financial aid application assistance
Share data, promising practices, outreach tools, and lessons learned to support continuous improvement across sectors
Support coordinated outreach and assistance for students and families who have historically faced barriers to accessing financial aid
Advise WSAC on statewide campaign design, messaging, partner engagement, regional implementation and resource development
Identify policy barriers that affect financial aid completion and elevate recommendations when policy changes may strengthen implementation

Advisory Board

Members

The board’s members reflect the range and required perspectives of partners contributing to statewide financial aid efforts.

Current representatives include:

Name	Position	Organization
Stefa Chow	School Counselor	Juanita High School
Susan Rose	Assistant Principal	Quincy High School
Pete Perez	Superintendent	Othello School District
Becky Wallace	Assistant Superintendent	OSPI
Shannon Carr	AVP Enrollment	UW Tacoma
Alyson Rotter	Assistant Dean K-12 Partnerships	Olympic College
Traci Spoon Stensland	AVP Financial Services	Whitworth University
Ashley DeLatour	ED of Programs	FuturesNW
Sydney Holman	Program Officer	Gates Foundation
Heba Qatrani	College student	UWT/WSA President
Melody Lozano	College student	South Seattle College
Sinan Farawila	High school student	Hanford High School
Evelyn Maldonado Serrano	High school student	Eisenhower High School
Gabriel Linares	High school student	Spokane International Academy

Board Member Roles

Provide expertise and insight from their perspective and role.
Advise on strategy implementation and help refine outreach approaches.
Facilitate connections within networks to expand campaign reach.
Share updates/data from their communities and roles that inform statewide tracking and work.
Champion FAFSA/WASFA completion in their communities and professional networks.

Expectations

Area	Description
Meetings	Monthly working sessions from November 2026 – June 2027 (approx. two hours each). The first and last meeting will be hybrid, and all other meetings will be held virtually, unless otherwise noted.
Preparation	Meeting agenda and relevant materials will be distributed approximately one or two weeks prior to each meeting. Members are expected to review materials in advance and bring any relevant updates, data, or insights to inform discussion.
Engagement	Actively participate in discussions, share feedback, and surface opportunities or barriers that can strengthen financial aid completion efforts. Share network connections for broader engagement.
Communication	Share key updates and information with their organization and relay relevant information back to the board.
Deliverables	Support development of shared statewide strategies, help shape recognition of high-performing schools, and advise on campaign adjustments throughout the year.

Advisory Board meetings

Each Advisory Board meeting will last two to three hours and follow a consistent structure designed to balance information sharing, collaborative discussion, and actionable follow-up. The framework allows for flexibility depending on topical priorities and campaign timing.

Next meeting: November 6, 2026, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Register to attend virtually
Attend in person at the 1500 Jefferson Building, conference room 1213.
Meeting Agenda (coming soon)
PowerPoint slides (coming soon)

Past Meetings

2025-26 Meetings

June 2, 2026

May 12, 2026

April 21, 2026

March 17, 2026

February 17, 2026

January 20, 2026

December 16, 2025

Kickoff Meeting, November 7, 2025

Meeting Structure

Meeting Framework

Topic	Purpose	Notes
Welcome & Meeting Overview	Set context, review meeting objectives, and provide quick updates from WSAC and Governor’s Office.
Campaign & Financial Aid Updates	Share current FAFSA/WASFA completion data, trends from FAFSA portal, and review key campaign milestones.	Includes Q&A (5 min).
Strategy Progress & Highlights	Review progress on statewide strategies and identify opportunities for collaboration. Hear examples from the field.	Rotate focus each month.
Regional Collaboration & Roundtable Discussion	Facilitate discussion among members to share practices, regional updates, or emerging challenges.
Public Comment	Provide opportunity for members of the public or guests to share comments or updates.	Limit 2-3 speakers (~3-5 min each). Capture for follow-up.
Action Items & Closing	Summarize takeaways, assign follow-up responsibilities, and preview the next meeting focus.	Confirm deliverables and next steps.

Meeting Schedule & Focus

Meetings will occur monthly from November 2026 – June 2027, following the pattern below. Each meeting will include progress updates, a focus discussion topic, and alignment on campaign deliverables.

In some months, particularly during the legislative session, meetings may include coordination related to statewide or legislative efforts that intersect with financial aid completion.

Registration is required to attend meetings by Zoom.

Date	Time	Format	Zoom Link
November 6, 2026	9:30 a.m.–12 p.m.	Hybrid (launch meeting)	Register
December 2	2 –4 p.m.	Virtual	Register
January 13, 2027	2 –4 p.m.	Virtual	Register
February 10	2 –4 p.m.	Virtual	Register
March 17	2 –4 p.m.	Virtual	Register
April 14	2 –4 p.m.	Virtual	Register
May 5	2 –4 p.m.	Virtual	Register
June 2	9:30 a.m.–12 p.m.	Hybrid (final meeting)	Register

Public Comment

Advisory Board meetings will be open to legislators and their staff, partner organizations, and other members of the public.

Each meeting will include a 15-minute public comment period for guests to share perspectives, updates, or emerging best practices.