By Diana Hanford
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL.– Broward County’s Bridge 2 Life (B2L), a nonprofit operating under the Broward Education Foundation, welcomed national, state, and local leaders for a milestone event as one of only a handful of organizations nationwide—and the only one in Florida—selected to participate in the 2026–2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) beta test made possible by the generous support from the Helios Education Foundation.
We were deeply honored by the presence of U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, Florida Department of Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn, the Presidents of Florida Atlantic University, Nova Southeastern University, and Broward College, along with the Directors of Broward’s three Technical Colleges. We were also privileged to welcome School Board Members Debra Hixon and Adam Cervera, State Representatives Chip LaMarca and Meg Weinberger, Broward County Commissioner Michael Udine, and countless dedicated community leaders and educators from near and far.
Following the private reception at Broward College’s Bailey Hall, B2L hosted a FAFSA completion workshop, offering more than 900 students and families hands-on support to navigate the new form. National FAFSA and financial aid expert Daniel Barkowitz provided step-by-step guidance, ensuring participants were among the very first in the country to experience the streamlined process.
“This event was the largest-ever first round of FAFSA testing and the earliest successful test launch in history,” said Colleen Lockwood, Executive Director of Bridge 2 Life. “Thanks to our close partnership with Broward County Public Schools, we were able to directly reach more than 31,000 parents of high school seniors, making sure families knew about this opportunity.”
Bridge 2 Life, which serves more than 10,000 youth across South Florida, empowers students to prepare for their futures through career pathway exploration, FAFSA and scholarship guidance, and peer engagement programs.
“We are proud that Broward County students and their families were among the first in the nation to take part in FAFSA’s new streamlined process,” said James A. Knapp, President & CEO of Broward Education Foundation. “By equipping families with financial aid knowledge and resources, we are helping ensure every student has the chance to pursue higher education and succeed.”
