Mayor Baraka Kicks Off the 2024 FAFSA Challenge: NEWARK VS. CAMDEN

Mayor Ras J. Baraka kicked off the 2024 “FAFSA Challenge” of Newark versus Camden at a press conference today in the Newark City Hall Press Room. Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen made a simultaneous announcement in his city. Newark Public Schools Superintendent Roger León, NJ Children’s Foundation (NJCF) Executive Director Barbara Martinez, My Brothers Keeper Newark Executive Director Mark Comesañas, and Newark City of Learning Collaborative Executive Director Robyn Ince also spoke at the Newark announcement. In addition, two alumni, Eagle Academy graduate Mekhi Fields and West Side High School graduate Shayaka Wilson, addressed attendees.
The two major New Jersey cities will engage in a friendly competition to empower local students, fuel higher education aspirations, and build momentum for college enrollment.
The goal of the challenge is to increase Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates and open doors to postsecondary success. Newark and Camden high schools will compete for the highest completion rate by city. In total, $70,000 will be awarded to high schools in both cities, with NJCF and the Camden Education Fund each contributing $30,000 apiece in prize money for the schools with the highest completion rates in their respective cities. In addition, the organization in the losing city will pay an extra $10,000 to the winning city’s organization to be distributed to participating schools.
In Newark, there will be four competing groups based on the type of schools - district, charter, magnet, specialized/county/private. The school with the highest completion rate in each group will win $5,000 for their senior class and the school with the highest overall completion rate will win an additional $10,000 (for a total of $15,000).
The FAFSA completion rate for Newark was 65 percent, as of September 15, 2023. That completion rate - which includes district, charter, magnet, specialized, and county high schools - exceeds the national (58.5 percent) and state (64.4 percent) averages.
The 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) officially opened on Sunday, December 31, 2023, for students who plan to attend college. Seniors who complete the FAFSA are more likely to enroll in higher education, persist in their college coursework, and successfully obtain a degree.
Schools can track their progress throughout the competition on the FAFSA Tracker website, which will start updating once data is available from the U.S. Department of