Washington Governor Bob Ferguson proposed requiring high school students to complete the FAFSA (or a state equivalent) to graduate, allowing opt-out via a form. The plan is intended to increase access to financial aid, with recent state data showing Washington’s FAFSA completion rate improved year over year but remained below national performance. The proposal follows a broader policy push: Ferguson previously directed the Washington Student Achievement Council to set a FAFSA completion goal starting 2026–27 and to identify low-completion districts for targeted recommendations. The requirement could become part of state graduation compliance—turning aid access into an operational K–12 completion metric. Several districts already use similar models, and the state-level initiative could accelerate FAFSA filing patterns just as colleges plan for next-cycle enrollment and need reliable applicant aid capacity.