By Mikhail Zinshteyn | CalMatters

Nearly three-quarters of California public high school seniors applied for federal financial aid this year, soaring past last year’s figures by 11% and giving further indication that California’s efforts to get more students to apply for federal grants are paying off.

This time last year about 307,000 high school seniors completed a financial aid application. This year, that number is around 340,000. The California Student Aid Commission that oversees college aid in the state released the information today.

In 2023 a slightly higher share of seniors completed aid applications — about 74% to this year’s 72.7%. In 2024, the figure was 64%.

“We must take a moment to reflect and celebrate this achievement for California’s future,” said Daisy Gonzales, the

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