Rochester families worry about FAFSA due to education cuts
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Students and families continue to voice growing concerns about the fate of FAFSA — amid President Donald Trump's massive cuts to the Department of Educations, and his plans to do away with it entirely.
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.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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The LPO did likely lend or commit more than $43 billion during its last three months — as listed above, our estimates range up to around $77 billion during this period. The office's website said in May 2025 that by September 2024 the LPO had financed "a $43.9 billion portfolio of innovative clean energy projects and advanced technology vehicle manufacturing facilities across the United States." This could be the figure Wright was referring to, though it would account for 19 years of the LPO's lifetime, not 15, as Wright had said. President George W. Bush founded the office in 2005, so a 15-year lifetime would only count up to 2020. It was unclear whether "financed" on the LPO's website meant obligated or disbursed — and equally unclear whether Wright was referring to either or both of these terms when he said the LPO "lent" $43 billion. The LPO's own annual portfolio status report for fiscal year 2023 (Page 10) showed that the office has consistently obligated more than it has disbursed. For example, in FY23, the office had obligated nearly $40 billion in its lifetime, but disbursed nearly $35 billion. By the end of March 2025, the LPO said on its website it had disbursed $47.3 billion in loans. Ultimately, while it was uncertain where Wright got his figures from, it was clear that the Biden administration finalized a large number of the loans and commitments it made through the LPO after Election Day in November 2024, and that the value of these loans and commitments likely exceeded the office's previous lifetime cumulative total. It remains uncertain what will happen to the $46.95 billion worth of active conditional commitments the LPO made under the Biden-Harris administration as Wright and the Trump Department of Energy turn their attention to the office. Wright said during the May 21 Senate appropriations hearing (time code 01:40:26): "Senator, the one complication in there too is, mixed in there, are good companies doing good things honestly with credible plans." Wright agreed that he was trying to "sort the wheat from the chaff." "That's our job and we're doing it," Wright said. Accelerating Portfolio Growth. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office, An Overview of DOE's Loan Programs Office. U.S. Department of Energy, June 2021, Brady, Jeff. "After Solyndra Loss, U.S. Energy Loan Program Turning A Profit." NPR, 13 Nov. 2014. NPR, Chu, Amanda. "Joe Biden Rushes to Issue Cleantech Loans in Bid to Secure Legacy." Financial Times, 26 Dec. 2024, Daly, Matthew. "AP Interview: DOE Reviving Loan Program, Granholm Says." AP News, 4 Mar. 2021, "December 2024 Monthly Application Activity Report." Accessed 28 May 2025. "DOE Announces $15 Billion Loan Guarantee to Pacific Gas & Electric Company to Expand Hydropower Generation, Battery Energy Storage, and Transmission." 17 Jan. 2025, DOE Loan Programs Office: 2023 Updates, Overview and Key Insights | Insights | Holland & Knight. Accessed 28 May 2025. Energy for America's Future. Accessed 28 May 2025. Forbes Breaking News. "Energy Secretary Chris Wright Testifies Before The Senate Appropriations Committee." YouTube, Accessed 28 May 2025. Friedman, Lisa. "Billions in Clean Energy Loans Go Unused as Coronavirus Ravages Economy." New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025, @glennbeck. "Trump's Energy Dept. Just Discovered Biden Rushed out $93 BILLION in Green Energy Loans in the 3 Months before Trump." X, 8 May 2025, "LPO Year in Review 2024." 21 Jan. 2025, Natter, Ari, and David R. Baker. "With Trump Looming, Biden's Green Bank Moves to Close Billions in Deals." Bloomberg, 13 Dec. 2024. "November 2024 Monthly Application Activity Report." Accessed 28 May 2025. "October 2024 Monthly Application Activity Report." Accessed 28 May 2025. @SecGranholm. "The @Energy Department's Loan Programs Office Is Back in Business! ." X, 3 Mar. 2021, @SecretaryWright. "The Biden Administration Pushed out $93 BILLION in Green Energy Loans in the 3 Months before @POTUS Came into Office." X, 10 May 2025, Storrow, Benjamin, et al. "Biden Inks Billion-Dollar Climate Deals to Foil Trump Rollbacks." POLITICO, 20 Nov. 2025, Accessed 28 May 2025.
