College students of Hunter School collect round a laptop computer.
Picture courtesy CUNY Revolutionaries
For many CUNY college students, attending school can be unattainable with out monetary assist. However this yr, the chaotic rollout of the brand new Free Software for Federal Scholar Assist (FAFSA) kind threatens to derail the academic journeys of many present and potential CUNY college students.
That’s why we’re doing all we will to assist college students and their households overcome the glitches and full the FAFSA kind.
The brand new streamlined utility was meant to be simpler to finish when it launched in December – after a long-needed overhaul that sought to be particularly useful for college kids from low-income households who depend upon monetary assist probably the most. That features the 70% of CUNY college students whose federal Pell grants and state Tuition Help Program (TAP) assist permits them to pursue a level tuition-free.
However a cascade of technical issues have had the other impact. College students nationwide have encountered irritating bugs in FAFSA’s new on-line utility, whereas logjams within the federal processing system have left schools and universities ready for months to obtain the knowledge they should make monetary assist provides to college students. The havoc has left college students in limbo and discouraged many from pursuing their school plans, with a disproportionate impact on college students from low-income households and underserved communities. In New York, functions are down 24% statewide.
With $1 million in funding from the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, CUNY is becoming a member of forces with the New York Metropolis Public Colleges and the New York and Queens public library techniques to assist 100,000 highschool seniors and present CUNY college students full their FAFSA kinds. From now via September, the CUNY Financial Aid Support Team, or FAST, will present college students with customized help from monetary assist counselors and educated school student-coaches.
These coaches embody Crystal Luna Serrano, a senior at CUNY’s John Jay School of Legal Justice in Manhattan who has been aiding highschool college students all yr. “It’s actually upsetting for college kids,” she mentioned.
To advance CUNY’s FAFSA-completion efforts, we’re working intently with Governor Hochul, who designated April as Monetary Assist Consciousness Month and introduced a campaign to encourage FAFSA completion that features sending letters with sources and tricks to highschool seniors all through the state. Governor Hochul understands the implications of the FAFSA delay for CUNY and its college students, and we’re grateful for her assist. We’ve additionally pushed the deadline to decide to CUNY till June 1, giving candidates extra time to obtain monetary assist packages.
Our focus is our college students, and so we urge them, and their households, to not lose sight of the reworking energy of a level and full the FAFSA kind regardless of the numerous frustrations. I’ve mentioned many instances throughout my 5 years as Chancellor that CUNY college students are persevering and decided. They know overcome limitations. This spring, FAFSA is a kind of obstacles, however the additional perseverance can be value it.
Matos Rodríguez is the chancellor of The Metropolis College of New York (CUNY), the most important city public college system in america.
