1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; requiring FAFSA for high school graduation;amending 
1.3 	Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 120B.02, by adding a subdivision.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 120B.02, is amended by adding a subdivision 
1.6 	to read:
1.7 		Subd. 4.FAFSA requirement. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, a student 
1.8 	must: (1) complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form 
1.9 	in order to graduate from a Minnesota public high school, or if the student is not eligible to 
1.10 	complete a FAFSA form, an application for state financial aid; or (2) on a form created by 
1.11 	the Department of Education, file a signed waiver with the student's high school indicating 
1.12 	that the parent or guardian of the student, or the student if the student is at least 18 years 
1.13 	old or legally emancipated, understands what the FAFSA form is and has chosen not to file 
1.14 	an application. If a student is not able to fulfill the requirements of (1) or (2) due to 
1.15 	extenuating circumstances, as determined by the school, the high school principal may grant 
1.16 	a hardship waiver to the student.

1.17 	Sec. 2. FAFSA WORKING GROUP.
 1.18 	The Department of Education and Office of Higher Education must convene a working 
1.19 	group of qualified stakeholders to make recommendations on how to provide support to 
1.20 	schools and students to complete the FAFSA graduation requirement under Minnesota 
1.21 	Statutes, section 120B.02, subdivision 4. By February 1, 2022, the Department of Education 
1.22 	must submit the report of the working group to the chairs and ranking minority members 
2.1 	of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over K-12 education policy and higher 
2.2 	education.