Hoping to avoid more undergraduate enrollment dips, college counselors have hustled students through application cycles, cuing new urgency in completing forms for financial aid.
College-access groups are offering innovative ways to tackle the complex Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that most American students must complete to finance their college education. Approaches to overcoming barriers include drive-thru help, virtual guidance, hotlines, and incentives like gift cards and free meals.
Why We Wrote This
How is the pandemic altering equitable access to college? New initiatives strive to ensure that college-bound students aren’t held back by missing paperwork.
Less than half of the high school class of 2021 completed the FAFSA by April 23, a 6.1% drop compared with this time last year, according to the National College Attainment Network. Low-income and high-minority schools show larger declines in completion than other schools. Still, the gap is narrowin
Schumer pushes Biden to cancel $50,000 in student loan debt
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In this March 10, 2021, file photo House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., pose after signing the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill during an enrollment ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)Alex Brandon/AP
WASHINGTON After the American Rescue Plan waived taxes on cancelled student loan debt, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday there s no reason President Joe Biden shouldn t immediately erase $50,000 in student loans for each borrower.
The American Rescue Plan, signed into law last week, makes all student loan forgiveness tax-free until 2025, including private and institutional loans. The move helps current borrowers who receive loan forgiveness during this period and sets the stage for Biden to wipe away thousands of dollars in student debt.
Lowering student debt still on Biden s agenda
Jay Silver
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Students are seen walking on campus as classes resume at University at Albany Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union
WASHINGTON A number of state universities and community colleges across the Capitol Region hope that the Biden administration will make colleges more affordable to lower-income students and minority groups as well as provide relief for those paying off student loans.
President Joe Biden campaigned on a plan that included making public universities and colleges free for students with families earning under $125,000 a year, doubling Pell grants for those with financial need and forgiving student debt. On his first day in office, Biden signed an executive order extending the pause on federal student loan repayments due to the ongoing pandemic.