NSHE urges higher FAFSA completion and alignment of dual-enrollment pathways
February 17, 2026 | 2026 Legislature NV, Nevada
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Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Matt McNair told the committee that boosting FAFSA completion is one of the quickest levers to increase college access: just 43 percent of Nevada students complete the FAFSA, and students who complete it are far more likely to access federal aid and enroll.
NSHE highlighted that nearly 40 percent of system students receive Pell grants and that dual and concurrent enrollment have become a major pathway into higher education. McNair and NSHE staff said students who participate in college-level coursework while in high school are more than twice as likely to continue into postsecondary credentialing.
NSHE reported substantial gains from co-requisite remediation models in gateway math and English; completion of co-requisite sequences in math rose from about 16 percent to roughly 58 percent in recent cohorts. The system is also implementing credit-for-prior-learning standards aligned to 88 national exams to help the 321,000 Nevada adults with some college credit finish credentials.
Chancellor McNair and Vice Chancellor Renee Davis acknowledged continuing transfer and acceptability gaps: NSHE institutions accept dual-credit courses statewide, and NSHE leaders said credits are generally transferrable to other public institutions, though private or out-of-state campuses sometimes decline high-school-era credits. Provosts and presidents at NSHE campuses told the committee they are coordinating course standards to reduce excess credits and smooth transfer pathways.
NSHE also discussed upcoming tuition and fee changes the Board of Regents approved to stabilize institutional budgets. McNair emphasized that Nevada remains among the most affordable systems nationally and that the increases were designed to avoid program cuts and preserve student supports.
The committee asked NSHE to provide regular updates on FAFSA completion progress and on the development of aligned dual-enrollment standards and transfer guarantees.
NSHE highlighted that nearly 40 percent of system students receive Pell grants and that dual and concurrent enrollment have become a major pathway into higher education. McNair and NSHE staff said students who participate in college-level coursework while in high school are more than twice as likely to continue into postsecondary credentialing.
NSHE reported substantial gains from co-requisite remediation models in gateway math and English; completion of co-requisite sequences in math rose from about 16 percent to roughly 58 percent in recent cohorts. The system is also implementing credit-for-prior-learning standards aligned to 88 national exams to help the 321,000 Nevada adults with some college credit finish credentials.
Chancellor McNair and Vice Chancellor Renee Davis acknowledged continuing transfer and acceptability gaps: NSHE institutions accept dual-credit courses statewide, and NSHE leaders said credits are generally transferrable to other public institutions, though private or out-of-state campuses sometimes decline high-school-era credits. Provosts and presidents at NSHE campuses told the committee they are coordinating course standards to reduce excess credits and smooth transfer pathways.
NSHE also discussed upcoming tuition and fee changes the Board of Regents approved to stabilize institutional budgets. McNair emphasized that Nevada remains among the most affordable systems nationally and that the increases were designed to avoid program cuts and preserve student supports.
The committee asked NSHE to provide regular updates on FAFSA completion progress and on the development of aligned dual-enrollment standards and transfer guarantees.
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