Education - High School Graduation Requirements - Financial Aid Application
HB 688 would add a new high school graduation requirement beginning with the 2026–2027 school year: each public school student would have to complete and submit either the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA). The bill allows a student, or a parent/guardian for a minor student, to opt out by submitting a signed form acknowledging the student understands the application and declines to complete it.
The bill also creates waiver options. A county board must waive the requirement if a student has completed all other graduation requirements and the principal attests the student made a good-faith effort to complete the FAFSA or MSFAA, or if a parent/guardian requests a waiver due to extenuating circumstances. The State Department of Education would be required to adopt regulations and provide guidance to ensure students receive adequate support in completing and submitting the forms.
In addition to the graduation requirement, HB 688 requires county boards to report annually from 2027 through 2032 on how many students completed the FAFSA or MSFAA, how many declined, and how many received waivers. These reports would go to the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee. The bill would amend the Education Article, specifically § 7-205.1, by adding a new subsection on financial aid application completion as part of graduation requirements.
The bill’s impact would be to make financial aid application completion a formal part of Maryland’s public high school graduation framework, potentially increasing FAFSA/MSFAA completion rates and expanding access to postsecondary financial aid. It would affect students, parents or guardians, county boards of education, principals, and the Maryland State Department of Education, while also creating a recurring reporting obligation for local school systems.
No committee transcripts or vote history were provided, so there is no recorded discussion or voting pattern to gauge sentiment. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears aimed at increasing college access and financial aid awareness, while preserving opt-out and waiver pathways for students who do not wish to apply or who face special circumstances.
HB 688 would amend Maryland Education Article § 7-205.1 to require, as a graduation condition starting in the 2026–2027 school year, that public high school students submit either the FAFSA or the Maryland State Financial Aid Application, subject to opt-out and waiver provisions. It would also require the State Department of Education to issue implementing regulations and county boards to submit annual completion/declination/waiver reports from 2027 through 2032. The bill would directly affect public school students, parents or guardians, principals, county boards of education, and state education agencies by adding a new administrative and compliance layer to graduation requirements.
No committee discussion or vote data were provided, so there is no documented legislative sentiment from hearings or floor action. On its face, the bill reflects a policy preference for expanding access to financial aid and encouraging postsecondary enrollment, while including exemptions that suggest an effort to balance that goal with family choice and hardship concerns.
The main points of potential contention are whether a financial aid application should be mandatory for graduation, and whether that requirement could burden students or families who do not plan to attend college, lack documentation, or face other barriers. Supporters would likely emphasize increased FAFSA/MSFAA completion and improved access to aid, while critics may focus on privacy, administrative burden, and the appropriateness of tying graduation to a postsecondary planning step. The bill addresses some of these concerns through opt-out forms, good-faith-effort waivers, and extenuating-circumstances waivers.