The effect of technical glitches in overhauling the student financial-aid form known as FAFSA is still being felt.

Issues stemming from a redesign of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid have left families scrambling to secure loans, grants and scholarships before sending their kids off to college in the fall.

A Minnesota nonprofit reminded college students tuition aid is still available and its new digital tool can help with the process.

Mike Dean, executive director of the nonprofit North Star Prosperity, said even as the kinks are sorted out, FAFSA completion in Minnesota is down 16%. His group partnered with a national organization to develop an online tool to serve as a go-between.

"It essentially is an AI-powered FAFSA adviser that can be available 24/7, to answer almost all of your questions around the FAFSA," Dean explained.

He encouraged graduating high school students and their families still figuring out college plans to give the platform, named Wyatt, a try. A lot of decisions are often made by early May but Minnesota's deadline for accessing aid this coming school year is June 30, 2025. Funds are provided retroactively but officials emphasized it is still better to take action now.

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education stressed applying now to figure out which types of aid you qualify for helps you make a more informed decision about enrollment. Dean agreed, pointing out in Minnesota, students from income-eligible households can now have all their tuition costs covered.

"If you're a family with income below $80,000, college is now free in Minnesota, but it's only free if you complete that FAFSA form," Dean added.

The free tuition program was adopted by the state last year. Dean contended it should help break down barriers in the pursuit of higher education in Minnesota without the burden of student debt. For those skeptical about Wyatt being an AI driven tool, he emphasized it was developed by FAFSA experts, ensuring accuracy in the answers it provides.

The University of Wyoming is scrambling to address a major funding cut state legislators passed in a footnote to the state budget.

During this year's session, Wyoming lawmakers banned appropriation dollars from funding the University of Wyoming office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The office has fostered inclusivity in race, sex, national origins and gender identity since its founding in 2017, providing resources for language assistance, Americans with disabilities, religious accommodations and more.

The University of Wyoming is not alone in facing such cuts. Since 2021, more than 150 bills have been brought to state legislatures aimed at academic freedom and university governance, according to a new paper from the American Association of University Professors.

Isaac Kamola, associate professor of political science at Trinity College and director of the association's Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom, said academic freedom is vital for higher education to serve the public interest.

"The teaching and research that takes place within those institutions has to be free from external pressures," Kamola argued. "To ensure that what takes place in the classroom and in research, pursues truth wherever it leads, not where those with political and economic power wishes that it leads."

Opponents of DEI initiatives said they lead to fear and resentment but Kamola noted the office closures are among several trending threats to higher education, including banning critical race theory, weakening tenure or accreditation and mandating content.

A working group provided suggestions to the University of Wyoming on how to proceed including continuing DEI funding through private support, under a changed name or reorganizing under a different university office. Kamola observed when Texas universities took a similar approach, they were told they were in violation and a round of layoffs followed.

"We can imagine that something similar might happen, where the political operatives that are behind these attacks on DEI will want to see blood in the water," Kamola stressed.

The working group's report asserted the DEI office grounded its work in the Wyoming Constitution.


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The Massachusetts Senate has proposed free community college for all residents, but educators say an influx of new students could overwhelm the system.

The MassEducate plan invests $75 million in new spending to cover tuition and fees and creates a fund for emergency costs, like child care, which can derail a student's graduation.

Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, called the program a win for social equity and a boon for the state's economy.

"We know that earnings increase, we know health increases, we know opportunity increases with every degree that someone gets," Comerford outlined. "Beginning with community college."

The state's new "millionaire's tax" would fund the program, but educators in the state's 15 community colleges said they are already struggling to retain faculty, whose salaries are more than 50% behind those in California, the state with the cost of living most similar to Massachusetts.

Comerford pointed out the state is working to rebuild the community college system, which has been underfunded for decades. Educators said without more money to hire and adequately pay more staff, including admissions and mental health counselors, students are being set up to fail.

Claudine Barnes, president of the Massachusetts Community College Council, said her full-time members are already overworked and most have additional part-time jobs to make ends meet.

"I get the sense that they want to basically see how we weather the storm of an influx of additional students and then they might decide to give us more money," Barnes observed.

Still, Barnes argued debt-free community college would be a game-changer for lower-income and first generation students, and schools are already drawing up contingency plans should the program survive budget negotiations.

Comerford added a proposed rapid task force would work to improve staff retention and working conditions and would include educators and others from the Department of Education.


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Advocates for higher education in Alabama are mobilizing to ensure students have the support they need for federal student aid applications this summer.

Delays in the release of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid have left many college-bound students in limbo about their financial aid eligibility.

Chandra Scott, executive director of the nonprofit Alabama Possible, said only about 42% of high school seniors applied for FAFSA this year, down sharply from 2023.

"That's still, yes, going in the right direction," Scott acknowledged. "But there's a lot of students who are still left behind, when that's really a 23% decline compared to last year. So, there's still a lot of work to be done."

Scott explained issues like the FAFSA's delayed rollout, technical glitches and slower college responses contributed to the challenges. Some parents even opted out of completing the FAFSA to avoid delaying their children's graduation. Despite these hurdles, Alabama ranks 16th in the nation for FAFSA completion.

With summer approaching, Scott pointed out many students will not have their school guidance counselors to lean on, but she wants families to know it isn't too late to start the application process, and help will be available throughout the state.

"We want to tell those students and those families you can still go back and complete the FAFSA, even though you completed the waiver," Scott emphasized. "Do not forget that is still a possibility."

Scott outlined plans to support students over the summer. She explained Alabama Possible is ramping up partnerships with counselors and career coaches, increasing outreach, and offering assistance through its Alabama Goes to College help desk and text message system.

"We have team members who are very well in depth of knowledge on how to complete those questions and really get them to support they need to complete it," Scott noted. "When you do reach out to us, you are getting an actual person to support you through that process."

She added help is available to students and families statewide, including for returning college students who may have questions about the FAFSA. Nationwide, just over 40% of students have completed their FAFSA, a nearly 16% drop from 2023.