High school students; completion of certain applications for student financial aid required.

Eliminated the mandate for students or parents to submit financial aid applications or sign an opt-out form.

Added a requirement for school boards to provide informational materials to students and parents about financial aid.

Added a requirement for school boards to establish, track, and publicly post five-year and annual goals for increasing application completion rates.

Removed the prohibition on withholding high school diplomas from students who fail to submit applications.

Narrowed the definition of 'high school student' by removing the reference to students satisfying compulsory education requirements through alternative means.

Changed the implementation timeline from a one-time action before graduation to an ongoing annual process of providing guidance and setting long-term goals.

Changed the obligation from school boards establishing goals for students to apply, to a direct mandate requiring each student (or parent) to either submit an application or submit a written opt-out form.

Removed the requirement for school boards to establish five-year goals for application completion rates and to publicly post data on those rates.

Added a requirement for the Department of Education to develop and issue specific guidance on reducing the administrative burden of implementing these new rules.

Added explicit language prohibiting schools from punishing students, such as withholding diplomas, for failing to provide the required confirmation or opt-out form.

Expanded the definition of 'high school student' to include private school students who satisfy state compulsory education laws.

Updated the definition of 'student financial aid application' to include the Virginia Alternative Student Aid (VASA) in addition to the federal FAFSA.

The requirement for students or parents to submit applications or file a written opt-out form was removed entirely.

School boards are now required to establish five-year goals to increase financial aid application completion rates.

School boards must annually post data on application completion rates and submit progress reports to the Department of Education.

New provisions require school boards to protect student privacy by prohibiting the disclosure of personally identifiable information related to these efforts.

The definition of 'high school student' was narrowed to only include public high school students, excluding other students meeting compulsory education requirements.

The act includes an expiration date of July 1, 2031.