- According to the Michigan FAFSA tracker, 25,918 students have completed their applications as of late January, which is already nearly half of the total number of FAFSA applications in the 2024 school year, which was 59,162.
- In an effort to get that number higher than previous years, local organizations like Lansing Promise and the Capitol Area College Access Network host informational sessions to give insight on all the funding that is available to students.
- I visited Lansing Technical High School's community FAFSA night and spoke with college representatives and parents about the financial aid assistance that is available.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
With many of our high school neighbors graduating in nearly four months, local college assistance organizations have joined forces to push the importance of FAFSA.
I'm your neighborhood reporter Asya Lawrence here with a look inside the district's FAFSA night.
"I don't want my son to have to carry that burden that I do, like being concerned about how you're going to pay this loan when you also have to pay for other things in your life," said Ricarla Carter, Lansing School District parent.
Meet Ricarla Carter and her son Allen, a soon to be graduate at Lansing Technical High School.
"I chose LCC because it's right in my backyard," Allen said.
He says this next step is an exciting one, but his mom says it's also a very expensive one.
"So if he was able to go to school for free that would be great," Ricarla Allen said.
A big reason why the Capitol Area College Access Network hosts informational sessions like these is to give insight on all the funding that is available to students.
"They already seem defeated so I feel good telling them about the resources that we have so they can see that it is obtainable," said Breanna Burnette, pre-college adviser at Lansing Technical High School.
According to the Michigan FAFSA tracker, over 25,000 students have completed their applications so far which is already nearly half of the total number of FAFSA applications in the 2024 school year.
"It's such a powerful piece of the on boarding process," said Jared Stratz, transitions and transfer student success unit representative at Michigan State University.
Financial aid funding has been a big topic of conversation in our neighborhoods and on a national scale with the new Trump administration.
"But as long as the students know that regardless of what's going on, you can still keep on the track of going to college and obtaining that post-secondary education, that's what's important," said Burnette.
And through events like community FAFSA night, neighborhood families have the chance to learn about the variety of resources right from the source.
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