Universal FAFSA Lesson Plan

Tools to support educators in guiding students through the FAFSA.

FAFSA Opens October 1, 2025

Starting with the class of 2025, Nebraska high school seniors must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or submit an opt-out form to graduate. This "Universal FAFSA" requirement encourages students to explore financial aid for post-secondary education, as outlined in LB701 (State Statute 79–729).

Educators are encouraged to use the lesson plans, slides, and resources below to help implement the new law and guide students through the FAFSA process. The tools comply with personal finance, ASCA, and Nebraska Career Readiness Standards.

The Nebraska FAFSA Task Force developed the lesson plans with input from Omaha Public Schools, Lincoln Public Schools, EducationQuest Foundation, and the Nebraska Department of Education.

Lesson Plan Deployment Options:

The FAFSA lesson plan, script, and slides can be used in around 90 minutes or broken into smaller segments over several class periods. We suggest the following order if you provide the FAFSA information over several class periods.

FAFSA: What You Need to Know
Get started: Create an FSA ID
How to Complete the FAFSA

FAFSA Lesson Plan

FAFSA Lesson Plan Script