As the U.S. Department of Education works to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, groups in Michigan have some tips.

Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act last year, and most of the changes won't go into effect for another year or two, though some have started rolling out. For instance, questions have already been removed about drug-related convictions and the Selective Service.

Ryan Fewins-Bliss - executive director of the Michigan College Access Network - said research has found many find the FAFSA form difficult to navigate, especially low-income or first-generation students.

"The department has received feedback over the years that FAFSA is a barrier to accessing federal financial aid and ultimately, a barrier to accessing college," said Fewins-Bliss. "And so, if we really want more people to go to college, they need to simplify the form."

He added that some of the planned changes include reducing the number of questions from 108 to 36, and changing the way they present the estimate of how much students and their families will be expected to pay.

Fewins-Bliss noted that because the Education Department is removing the Selective Service question, they're also considering removing the gender question. But the Michigan College Access Network and other groups recommend keeping it in place.

"We think they should add gender-inclusive language," said Fewins-Bliss. "But ultimately, we want to be able to look at the data and understand what's happening, and use gender as one of those factors."

Groups are also pushing for eliminating a separate form for applicants who are incarcerated. They say it only serves to contribute to the stigma surrounding incarceration.

Fewins-Bliss said no matter their circumstances, it's important for every college applicant to fill out the FAFSA.

"The FAFSA is filled with surprises for lots of families, especially low-income families who often don't fill it out because they feel like college is not accessible," said Fewins-Bliss. "If folks don't fill it out, they'll never know that they were actually eligible for so much aid."

He notes Pell Grant-eligible students can get an associates degree from any Michigan community college free of cost.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

CORRECTION: YouthTruth surveyed more than 28,000 high school seniors from the class of 2022 and the class of 2019 in 19 states, including New York. The incorrect line originally read: 'YouthTruth surveyed more than 680,000 middle and high-school students of all races in 19 states, including New York.' (12:00 p.m. MDT, Feb. 6, 2023)

While controversy rages on about the College Board's Advanced Placement African American Studies course, Black students in a new survey say they want a more inclusive curriculum.

In the survey by YouthTruth, Black students said they feel learning about Black American or African history can be a guiding factor for them to pursue higher education.

But many history classes don't cover much about Black America - and lawmakers in multiple states aim to keep it that way, enacting laws that limit discussion of race and gender studies.

Treva Patton, partnership lead at YouthTruth, said there are steps school districts can take to implement a more inclusive curriculum.

"I think it starts by just having the conversation, right? Looking and examining the existing curriculum," said Patton. "Students have even noticed that there's a separation, and asked for additional funding for extra classes. One student said, 'I wish the school had more funding for extra class choices.'"

She added that districts need to not only examine their current courses, but ask students for input, and then work with experts in the field to develop a stronger curriculum.

Patton said she feels the backlash that some Black history courses are facing is a product of not having more student, family and community input.

YouthTruth surveyed more than 28,000 high school seniors from the class of 2022 and the class of 2019 in 19 states, including New York.

The College Board offers several courses on different cultures and histories, and only one on African American history so far. Much of the backlash was prompted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has banned it from being offered in schools there.

Patton said the survey confirms that students are concerned about the trend.

"Students are recognizing that they're not being represented in the classroom," said Patton. "One student said, 'We also don't talk about racism and how it's affecting us as students. I want to learn about things that affect me, and my family and friends - mainly about Black culture and history.'"

The survey also found students of color expect their schools to enact and champion anti-racist policies. And the number of young people who said they feel the adults in their school "treat students with respect" jumped from 57% before the pandemic, to 70% in 2021.

For more than two decades, a workforce development program in El Paso has invested in the economically disadvantaged to help them attain the education and job skills needed to earn higher wages.

Project ARRIBA - Advanced Retraining and Redevelopment Initiative in Border Areas - connects residents of low-income neighborhoods with resources that can prepare them for higher education and job training.

President and CEO Roman Ortiz says ARRIBA promotes living-wage jobs that will help residents stay in the El Paso area.

"In order to be able to get a good career, you're going to need post-secondary success," said Ortiz, "either at the community college level, or higher, in order to be able to get into better-paying jobs."

In December, the El Paso County commissioners awarded Project ARRIBA a 20-month contract worth $1 million in American Rescue Plan funds. Ortiz said he expects to see about a 30% increase in overall growth, allowing ARRIBA to serve twice as many new participants.

Ortiz said the program - which has a 94% job-placement rate - typically guides participants into health-care, information-technology and other professional careers.

"We're only going to train for jobs that we know that in El Paso are going to be in demand and pay a family-sustaining living wage," said Ortiz. "Our goal is $14 an hour with benefits and a career path - but on average, we're job-placing people close to $58,000 a year."

In El Paso, about one out of every two women lives below the poverty line established by the federal government, according to Ortiz.

He said that makes ARRIBA's success stories very encouraging - including one about a participant who received financial assistance to graduate with a nursing degree.

"She is the cardiovascular nurse manager for our top-tier university medical center here in El Paso," said Ortiz, "who manages almost 100 nurses herself and hires our nurses that we graduate today."

He said ARRIBA, which spends about $6,500 per participant, has helped some 1,800 graduate, and another 1,600 with job placement.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

Students who are also parents face more challenges getting through college, but support for these students is getting an upgrade at Bowie State University.

Bowie State is one of eight Historically Black or Tribal Colleges and Universities to receive grant funding from the Aspen Institute to help improve outcomes for student parents. Research suggests that 22% of college students are also raising kids.

College gets more complex as these parents maintain access to child care and make time for school, studying and, often, work. Erica Hernandez, an assistant professor of psychology at Bowie State, said navigating these complexities can create obstacles to finishing their degree.

"Student parents are at risk to have lower graduation rates than their non-parenting peers, even though their GPA is the same or higher than students without children," she said. "It's just a matter of completing educational goals."

The $75,000 grant will go toward expanding access to child care, improving academic supports, and increasing opportunities for students with kids to participate in campus life.

Perhaps the greatest challenge for student parents is finding and paying for child care. Hernandez said the university is working to help them on both fronts.

"In our county, in Prince George's County, Maryland, infant child-care especially costs more than college tuition," she said. "So, helping students not only find child care - because it's very difficult to find those infant spots - but also to find subsidies to help pay for that child care."

She said some students may qualify for the Maryland Child Care scholarship. The university has also received a federal grant from the Department of Education to add to the state subsidy, to cover any shortfall.

Hernandez said Bowie State is expanding campus social outlets for student parents.

"We have recently started a Student Parent Association, which is a student organization or club for students who have children, so that they can connect with each other socially," she said. "They have events, and I think it's been a really great step forward so that their voices can be heard on our campus."

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.