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Alvarado, alongside Ioane and master’s student Becca Tibbetts, joined education professionals in a recent webinar hosted by the League of Education Voters to talk about how institutions are responding to this year’s delays in financial aid. Alvarado is a member of the Association of Washington Student Leaders, and Ioane and Tibbetts are regional coordinators in the Washington Student Engagement Networks, which train students in advocating for their interests with the state Legislature.
During the webinar, Tibbetts said that FAFSA days have been a successful strategy on her campus to help walk students through the financial aid application process. She said that offering financial literacy classes in high school to expose students to snippets of the FAFSA earlier would also be helpful.
“If they have to grasp that concept at an early age, it might help promote the filling out (of) financial aid forms as well as promoting it in higher education for those students who are returning,” Tibbetts said during the webinar.
Education professionals spoke about how organizations are encouraging students to pursue higher education. One of these is the Washington Guaranteed Admissions Program, which gives 11th and 12th graders who meet minimum requirements a guaranteed space in participating public four-year institutions.
After an April 10 hearing before a Congressional committee on the FAFSA delay, Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, issued a statement expressing concerns about how this new barrier to financial aid may disproportionately affect students of color and their access to higher education.
“I am deeply concerned … about the devastating and disproportionate impact these delays and glitches are having on the ability of low-income students and students of color to submit applications,” Chu wrote. “Even if they’re able to submit applications, delays compress the timelines for students to receive financial aid offers from colleges and decide where — or if — they would be able to ultimately enroll.”
Meotti encouraged students to be patient and persistent.
“It’s going to work out,” Meotti said. “Don’t give up. Particularly don’t listen to the rumors. Don’t worry about deadlines. And if you have any questions, call the college that you apply to for financial aid and they’ll be able to tell you what the situation is.”