In 2021 North Carolina public high schools were invited to join the new NC First in FAFSA challenge to promote FAFSA completion and the chance to win $500 for their school! Participating high schools competed among similar schools by senior class size and location, in two categories:
| FAFSA Completions for 2021 | FAFSA Completion Growth (compared to last year) |

Winner: FAFSA Completions
| 100% |
Hyde County Schools
Visit the Website
Winner: FAFSA Completion Growth
| 21.7% |
Macon County Schools
Visit the Website
Winner: FAFSA Completions
| 89.2% |
Guilford County Schools
Visit the Website
Winner: FAFSA Completion Growth
| 19% |
Wilkes County Schools
Visit the Website
Winner: FAFSA Completions
| 74.3% |
Union County Public Schools
Visit the Website
Winner: FAFSA Completion Growth
| 14.1% |
Surry County Schools
Visit the Website
Winner: FAFSA Completions
| 71% |
Union County Public Schools
Visit the Website
Winner: FAFSA Completion Growth
| 16% |
Person County Schools
Visit the Website
Winner: FAFSA Completions
| 83.3% |
Macon County Schools
Visit the Website
Winner: FAFSA Completion Growth
| 28% | |
| 87.5% |
Cherokee County Schools
Visit the Website
Winner: FAFSA Completions
| 100% |
Cabarrus County Schools
Visit the Website
Winner: FAFSA Completion Growth
| 29.7% |
Greene County Schools
Visit the Website
Note: FAFSA completion results use federal data (compiled and analyzed by Carolina Demography) with the closest federal reporting period to June 30, 2021, comparing 2020 to 2021 completion.