The data is finally flowing, and award letters are being sent, but state leaders and higher education advocates gathered at the State Capitol on Monday with a “message of urgency” for Minnesota students: Fill out your college financial aid forms.
“The time is right now,” said Dennis Olson, commissioner of the Office of Higher Education.
He joined Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and higher education advocates at a news conference during which he announced $15,000 grants for two groups — College Possible Minnesota and Achieve Twin Cities — that plan to continue working through the summer with students who have struggled to complete the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.
The good news, Olson said, is issues that brought about delays in the release of data to his office and to financial aid directors at campuses across the state appear to have been resolved.
Still, Flanagan acknowledged some college aspirants may have been discouraged in their attempts to navigate the system in recent months.
“We urge all Minnesotans to try again,” she said.
Monday’s announcement came a month after the leaders of eight groups promoting college access warned of a “catastrophic decline in college enrollment” if Gov. Tim Walz did not provide more resources to assist students in determining how much they have to pay for college.
State officials say students have access to $2.5 billion in financial aid through federal, state and private sources, but 16% fewer high schoolers have completed the FAFSA compared with a year ago.