In the first quarter of 2010, filings for the Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA) climbed by 17.5% to 8.1 million filings.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the double-digit rise in FAFSA filings for 2010 followed on the heels of a 26.% percent (6.8 million filings) rise in 2009-10 and a 5.9% (5.4 million filings) in 2008-09. 

Washington ranked 11th in increases in filings among the fifty states and D.C., with an increase of 23.1 % or 182,822 thousands more filings.  Utah (30.9%), Nevada (30%), and Arizona (29.9%) all saw the sharpest increases in filings while Pennsylvania (6.8%), North Dakota (6.5%), and Vermont (4.6%) had the smallest increases.

The U.S. Department of Education suggested that the rise in FAFSA filings were due to multiple drivers.

• Increased enrollment of mid-career professionals seeking to gain new skills
• Increased need for financial aid
• Increased awareness of the importance of filing the FAFSA early
• Simplification of the FAFSA form