Milwaukee Public Schools students attend the Skilled Trades & Technical Career Fair at Milwaukee Tool in downtown Milwaukee in October 2023. Many Milwaukee high school graduates have postponed their college plans because of delays and changes to the FAFSA. (NNS file photo by Jonathan Perez)
By PrincessSafiya Byers
This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org.
Many needy students in Milwaukee and throughout the state are finding it harder to secure financial aid for college because of unexpected hurdles caused by federal officials’ efforts to simplify the process.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is a form completed by current and prospective college students that determines how much financial aid they can receive.
The results are often used to guide students to which higher education institution they can afford to attend and whether to look into other aid opportunities where necessary.
In a typical year, students and families can start filling out their FAFSA applications on Oct.1. The sooner a student completes FAFSA, the sooner they can commit to a school.
This year, however, the FAFSA overhaul delayed the process, and the applications didn’t open until late December.
The delays have disproportionately affected students from Black and Brown communities in Milwaukee, research shows.
Delayed application process
Sugey Contreras started her FAFSA process in February but said it wasn’t completely processed until mid-May.
“It was a very stressful time for me,” Contreras said. “And I think just the recent changes (to FAFSA) in general have put students of undocumented parents at a disadvantage.”
As a graduate of Carmen High School of Science and Technology who is entering her first year of college, Contreras said the process was frustrating and stressful because the length of the process conflicted with her deadlines.
She had to commit to a school and accept certain scholarships by a certain time, which pushed her close to missing out on them
Most colleges and universities expect commitments by May 1, known as National College Decision Day, and because of delays, students like Contreras were unable to meet that deadline.
According to Zuleyka Rios, the director of postgraduate success at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, the FAFSA delays and changes hit the school hard as it has a team dedicated to being proactive and helping students complete FAFSA.
“We’re intentionally proactive and so not being able to start in October was already difficult,” Rios said. “Then because of changes, instead of doing group FAFSA days, we had to spend a lot of time doing one-on-one meetings with families.”
According to its website “100% of Cristo Rey Jesuit graduates are accepted to two-and-four-year colleges. Rios said historically every student would have completed FAFSA and received aid packages by April. But this year there are still students waiting.
Marginalized students hit the hardest
A recent report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum said, as a result of delays and other changes to FAFSA, completion rates have plunged, both nationally and in Wisconsin.
Through April 26, completion rates in Wisconsin had declined from 42.4% in 2023 to 33.9% in 2024, U.S. Department of Education data shows.
The decline was even greater at schools with larger shares of students who are nonwhite, live in economically disadvantaged households or do not speak English as their first language, the Policy Forum report said.
Allison Wagner, the executive director of All-In Milwaukee, a local college completion program, said she has seen firsthand the challenges FAFSA delays and changes have had on Milwaukee students.
“Our students rely on federal money to get through college,” she said. “And they waited until the last possible day to allow students to begin the process so students with longer last names or whose parents filed late suffer.”
Wagner said she is apprehensive about what this will mean for fall enrollment. “Graduating students are losing the support system of school counselors and advisers as summer comes,” she said.
What happens next?
Contreras said she’s had friends decide to take a different route after struggling to complete the financial aid process.
“I wanted to just give up and do something else as well,” she said. “But my parents worked hard for my education, and I want to be able to give back to them.”
According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s report, enrollment for the fall will likely drop.
Contreras said some of her friends are still struggling to complete the process.
“I think offering any support you can to students trying to complete the FAFSA process is helpful,” she said. “It’s long and stressful and knowing you have help means a lot.”
Where to go if help is needed
Milwaukee Public Schools is hosting several FAFSA events for students in need. Look here for more information.
The FAFSA website itself might be helpful.
The Fair Opportunity Project offers a series of free services, including a college application guide, free essay reviews for scholarships or applications, virtual mentoring and a service that helps students and families complete FAFSA applications.