Nearly six out of ten Miami-Dade seniors completed the FAFSA this year, the highest district rate in Florida. Coral Reef Senior High in Palmetto Bay earned individual recognition for its role in that push, winning a statewide trophy.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools posted a 59.8% FAFSA completion rate for 2025-26, according to results from the Florida College Access Network's annual FAFSA Challenge released in late May. The statewide average was 50.9%.

Coral Reef, located at 10101 SW 152nd St., won the FCAN "MVP – Large Schools" award at the Talent Strong Florida 2026 Summit in Tampa. The district took home seven trophies total, including the overall FAFSA Challenge District MVP.

The FAFSA is the primary gateway for students to access federal Pell Grants, work-study positions, and student loans. A higher completion rate means more local seniors are positioned to receive aid they qualify for but might otherwise leave on the table.

At Coral Reef, where roughly 3,300 students are enrolled and 33% are classified as economically disadvantaged, that access carries real weight. Cutler Bay Senior High, a smaller magnet-focused campus serving about 590 students in the same district, also stands to benefit from the expanded support services driving these numbers.

M-DCPS credited its CAP Advisors and high school student services teams for the gains. The district also received a $1.5 million grant from the Helios Education Foundation, awarded through The Education Fund, to expand college access programming. That grant funds early college exposure, advisement, test preparation, essay writing support, and FAFSA completion help, primarily targeting first-generation college students.

Superintendent Dr. Jose L. Dotres has framed the effort as ensuring every senior has a path to higher education. "This partnership with the Helios Education Foundation and the Education Fund gets us one step closer to that goal," Dotres said.

The 2026-27 school year begins Thursday, August 13, according to the district calendar. Families with students entering their senior year at Coral Reef or Cutler Bay should prepare for the next FAFSA cycle.

Families can contact their school's student services office for guidance on college access programming and FAFSA support available through the district.