NASHVILLE -- Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has proclaimed Thursday, January 12, as the first "TN FAFSA Frenzy Day," encouraging high school seniors and current college students to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by January 17 to maintain eligibility for key scholarship programs including Tennessee Promise.

"Across Tennessee, 60,000 high school seniors submitted a Tennessee Promise application this fall and made a commitment to higher education. Submitting the FAFSA is the next step," Haslam said. "This Thursday, January 12, is our first TN FAFSA Frenzy Day, and you'll see colleges, nonprofits and state government agencies partnering with high schools statewide to ensure that as many students as possible get their FAFSA submitted."

In 2016, Tennessee's FAFSA filing rate led the nation with 70.3 percent of the state's high school seniors filing the application. Tennessee also saw historic rises in first-time college enrollment with the Tennessee Promise scholarship in 2015-16.

The FAFSA determines a student's eligibility for federal and state aid to pay for higher education. In Tennessee, the FAFSA is required for a student to access state aid and scholarships such as the HOPE Lottery Scholarship and Tennessee Promise. To remain eligible for Tennessee Promise, students must submit the FAFSA by Tuesday, January 17. The FAFSA is available at https://fafsa.ed.gov/.