Theres no room for the public, but this is all streaming and there will be an unedited version that anyone can watch later. Our witnesses are participating by Video Conference today and some senators are as well. I would like to Say Something about mass. The office of attending position that he says since were six feet apart, we dont need to wear masks, although some may. I have one and i wear it outside because as dr. Redfield reminded us yesterday, its extremely important tool for stopping the spread of covid. Im grateful to the rules committee. Sergeant arms, the capitol lice and chun check and Evan Griffith and the people with all their hard work in helping us keep safe and helping us do these conferences by video which everyone has become pretty expert. Senator murray and i will have an opening statement. Well turn to our witness who we thank for being with us today. Each witness if you would summarize your remarks in five minutes, that would leave more time for questions and answ
Good morning to everyone. The committee on Health Education labor and pensions will please come to order. First, a few administrative matters. Weve gotten advice from the sergeant at arms health and human services, centers for disease control, individuals in the hearing room will be at least six feet apart. Theres no room for the public, therefore, but this is all streaming and there will be an unedited version of it that anyone can watch later. Our witnesses are participating by videoconference today and some senators are as well. Id like to Say Something about masks. Since were six feet apart we dont need to wear masks, although some may. Thats why my mask is off, although i have one and i wear it outside because as we were reminded yesterday its extremely important tool for stopping the spread of covid. Im grateful to the rules committee, sergeant of arms, the press gallery, the architect of the capitol, the Capitol Police and our staff, people, all their hard work in helping to kee
Captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2008 lets turn our attention to one of the important issues, and it is this. 20 Million Students and their families are in the middle of what has to be the strangest first semester of college in at least a century. Almost everything has changed for students except one thing, students still have to answer 108 questions on the dreaded fafsa form, federal aid application for pell grants and Student Loans to help go to college. For years now ive carried around the fafsa as a prop to make the case for simplifying it, but its no joke, especially this year. Many students are questioning their investment in a College Education at a time when many classes are only offering online courses, many of low income students who would benefit most economically from college long term are putting it off altogether. There was an 8 drop in the number of black undergraduate students enrolled in summer sessions compared with last summers enrollment according t
Damian we begin today with changes to the College Financial aid application process. Sonia ramos joins us now, shes with calsoap, and Sergio Diaz Luna is with the east Side Union High School District in san jose. Welcome to the show. Sonia ramos thank you for having us. Damian tell us first of all, sonia, about the calsoap. Tell us what you all do with calsoap. Sonia so, calsoap is the California Student opportunity and access program. We are a state funded program through the California Student Aid Commission, which is our state agency which administers all state Financial Aid to our students here in california. And so, calsoap serves regions across the state focusing on increasing the College Going rates and access to Financial Aid for low income and first gen students. And our san jose calsoap Program Works here in san jose specifically supporting students in east Side Union High School District. Damian and well get into the these changes first, but you gave me a startling statistic
Subcommittee on Higher Education. The subcommittee will come to order. The chair is authorized to call recess at any time. Welcome to todays hearing entitled fafsa fail, examining impacts to students, family and schools. There comes a time for students across america to apply for college. The free application for federal student aid, fafsa, is a critical tool. For many, fafsa is the only access to Postsecondary Education and opens doors and provides Financial Assistance to individuals seeking to pursue academic conditions with regards to their background. In 2020 legislators and policymakers sought to make the process even more accessible by passing the fafsa simplification act. With the financial burden of colleges each year, it was incredibly important the form ease the fafsa for families. The new law streamlines the long and complex application process and in some cases the students could see the number of questions on the form shrink from 818 from 103 on the previous fafsa applicat