BATON ROUGE- Beginning this year with the class of 2018, the state of Louisiana is adding a high-school graduation requirement.
Now, in order to graduate, all students and their parents must complete the FAFSA or apply for TOPS or sign a waiver opting out of applying for federal financial aid. East Ascension High School career counselor, Shannon Hattier hopes for the best.
“I think what we’re hoping it does, is at least inform everybody and make sure that they understand what the FAFSA can do for them,” Hattier said.
Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Representative Tony Davis said this new system can give more students financial opportunities. 
“That strengthens our economy and our households. That is why this policy was put into place,” Tony Davis said. 
The new policy applies to all high-school seniors, not only those who plan to go to college. Those who plan to go straight into the workforce may not be as motivated to complete this new requirement.
Hattier said the FASFA always comes with difficulties.
  “Some parents don’t want to put their information on there, which, the federal government is not super happy about.”
According to Davis, the policy is supposed to help more students gain access to education beyond high school. 
University Laboratory School Superintendent, Wade Smith said the new policy will force institutions to be more responsible.  
“Students are going to have to be diligent,” Wade told Tiger TV.
“The thinking behind it is that you’ll be able to ensure that students would have opportunities to receive monies that they might not otherwise qualify for.”
Answers about how this plays out will become clear only at the end of this spring, since this untested policy has not been tried anywhere else in the United States.