Rochester families worry about FAFSA due to education cuts
Wednesday, a FAFSA Fest in Rochester hoped to give guidance on what options remain available for families as they think about future education.
News 8 spoke with a single mom of twins who said she needed help navigating the FAFSA process with her kids, and while concerned about the future availability of financial aid, she's glad she can get a head start for her daughter.
'It definitely makes you nervous,' Shanita Ray told News 8. 'As a parent, you just really don't know what the state of the economy is, and education is very important to us, so it's been a little overwhelming.'
Ray said she took those concerns and came to the FAFSA Fest hosted by the Rochester Education Foundation. Director of College Access Phil Hounshell said he has heard concerns from multiple families about what will be available for their students.
'What I want to let you know is that there's always going to be a way,' Hounshell said. 'So right now, we don't necessarily have anything set in stone as far as if that will change, or if any of the things that have been proposed will take shape. But regardless of what happens, the Rochester Education Foundation will be at the front lines of helping with whatever happens.'
FAFSA has faced significant challenges in recent years, beginning with a rocky introduction of updated forms under the Biden Administration, which resulted in a decline in college aid applications. As of March 17, the Education Department reported over 8 million completed FAFSA forms. However, Hounshell emphasizes the concept of financial aid and the process of completing the form can be daunting but reassures families that financial aid is accessible to everyone.
'It is a pretty seamless application,' Hounshell said. 'There have been a lot of upgrades that have been made that the process can be done in less than 30 minutes, as long as all your ducks are in a row. So, this is one of the steps to making sure that you secure the future that you would actually like to have.'
Ray said after getting the help and going through the steps with her daughter, she feels better about her daughter's future and encourages families to take the same steps.
'I think this is a great opportunity for parents and their children to have a conversation about college,' she said. 'And I think that it would be a good idea for youth that are in their freshmen, sophomore and junior year, to get acquainted with the process early, so that you could be more comfortable and ready when the time comes.'
Students must submit their FAFSA forms by June 30. Schools are currently reviewing the forms they have received from the education department. For more information, click here.
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