Empire Center for Public Policy’s Post

Now that access to the FAFSA is 24/7, albeit with some lingering issues, it's important for high school seniors to not lost focus as they near the finish line. A stumble can cost you all your hard work. https://lnkd.in/etyhdn-g #highschoolstudents #guardians #parents #collegeadmissions

#communitycolleges-Potential Budget Cuts and their consequences. Your thoughts on the following questions: Is it too late to implement innovative ideas? Are the solutions and implementations unique to each community college? Can the “existing culture” allow us to adapt to recent changes induced by AI, budget cuts, etc?

What are some alternative ways Pell grants can improve #college affordability? While doubling the maximum Pell grant can increase federal aid for low- and moderate-income students, this strategy disproportionately benefits higher-income Pell recipients. Many more students would qualify for awards, but the ones experiencing the most severe #financial hardships would not receive enough. In this Urban Wire piece, learn more about #policy changes that could provide equitable federal aid to college students and improve educational opportunities for all. https://urbn.is/3ACI5u7

In California, students who need help paying for college have two options: U.S. citizens can complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Undocumented students fill out the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) to get state-funded support. FAFSA completion rates went down this year, a dip largely attributed to glitches and other obstacles that arose after a U.S. Department of Education revamp last December. But Dream Act application numbers took an even harder fall. According to the California Student Aid Commission, as of July 22, there has been a nearly 16% drop in applications (4,940), compared to just about 6% for FAFSA. Among new filers and high school seniors, CADAA completion is down by 20% (1,877). Completing the Dream Act application allows students to be considered for state aid, scholarships, and loans. For many students, these financial aid packages determine where, or even if, they go on to pursue higher education. Read the full story: https://ow.ly/jjCu50SMu1U

A PERMANENT cut for what has been historically underfunded institutions, is flat out an atrocious proposal! Community Colleges educate more students, more Marylanders, and generates more Maryland based tax dollars from graduates than all four year colleges combined! A continued and lasting investment in Community Colleges, institutions that have historically NOT been fully funded on the state level and have been continuously asked to do more for less, while money has been diverted to four-year public and private colleges, that has received token support since the creation of the Cade formula in the 1990s, is an investment in Maryland, in workforce development and in the future of Maryland!!! Stop asking community colleges to do more with less and start asking four-year institutions to live within their means!!! #Dotherightthing #communitycolleges #fullyfundcade

Louisiana's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education did a shortsighted thing this week. The Board voted to remove the state's universal FAFSA policy, which along with excellent statewide infrastructure for supporting FAFSA completion, kept Louisiana at the top of our high school senior FAFSA Tracker for years. I wrote this commentary for the Times Union recently in support of New York's consideration of universal FAFSA, but the argument I make is surely not unique to New York: "FAFSA completion remains more important than ever because two opposing forces continue to press on students’ choices after high school. On the one hand, more and more jobs in the modern economy require some kind of degree or credential beyond a high school diploma. On the other, affordability concerns weigh on and change many students’ aspirations and decisions. Increasing FAFSA completion can increase financial aid uptake and expand the possible postsecondary pathways for New York’s students." https://lnkd.in/efvXtZXG

Beyond financial aid, students need support with basic needs like childcare, food, and technology. Our solutions provide: - Rapid funding within hours of application - In-depth analytics to track impact Partner with us to enhance your student support programs and empower your students to succeed. #StudentSupport #BasicNeeds #EducationEquity #Analytics

The devil has been, and still is, in the details. The NYS School budget formula and process needs to adjust to shifting population trends, new costs, and oft unfunded mandates with which school districts state wide must grapple. This article gives one a glance into the backroom political meetings that drove the NYS School budget process. If it was happening with schools, what else was impacted by a shadowy political process?

My first project at The Texas Tribune! The rollout of a revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid this year has been fraught with complications, making it difficult for students to complete the form and pushing back colleges’ timelines for awarding financial aid. An analysis of the latest federal data reveals the hurdles have led to fewer high schoolers seeking financial aid for college this year. According to data through June 7, Texas high school graduates’ FAFSA completion rates fell by 8.8 percentage points, or by almost 30,000 students, compared to this time last year. The decline is sharper than the one the state saw in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. https://lnkd.in/ehZeuRa6

N.J. Governor Murphy signed a new law: "Beginning with this year’s 11th-grade class...students or their guardians must complete and submit either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)... unless they are granted an exemption after submitting a waiver or speaking to a guidance counselor." They join twelve other states with the same law to help encourage students to attend college, seeing they can get aid. #collegeadmissions #collegefinancialaid #collegeplanning