Bridge Lunch Break to discuss FAFSA changes, impact on Michigan students
- Changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form have led to delays affecting students and colleges
- Michigan high school seniors and students across the country are still waiting for financial aid offers
- Lunch Break will feature expert panelists talking about what this means for students and families this year and beyond
Bridge Michigan invites readers to a free Zoom discussion from noon to 1 p.m. on April 24 about the FAFSA fiasco and its impacts on students, families, colleges and universities.
This was supposed to be a simpler year for filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using a new form. However, the process has been littered with delays and last week the U.S. Department of Education announced that an estimated 30% of applications for college financial aid were affected by unexpected processing or data errors. These delays make it difficult for schools and students to get an accurate picture of a student’s college costs.
Guest panelists will include Katie Condon, vice president of enrollment management at Eastern Michigan University, Diann Cosme, director of Michigan student aid at the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential, and Jamie Jacobs, deputy director of the Michigan College Access Network. Bridge education reporter Isabel Lohman will moderate the discussion.
Related:
- More FAFSA problems: What Michigan families need to know about financial aid
- Michigan FAFSA challenges: High school seniors slow to fill out form
- How to get free tuition from Michigan colleges and universities
Participants can ask questions of our panelists via the Zoom chat feature throughout the event. Pull up a chair, grab your lunch and join us for this interactive discussion.
Please fill out our Lunch Break registration form to be sent a calendar invitation to the event, including the Zoom link. This registration form also includes an opportunity to submit questions for our reporters.
Bridge’s Lunch Break monthly series focuses on timely topics facing our state. Previous events have discussed spending of Michigan’s opioid settlement funds, the Democrats’ first year in the legislative majority, solutions to gun violence in Michigan, Michigan’s population crisis, youth mental health in Michigan and the legacy of the automotive industry on the state’s environment and economy.
How to join this live Zoom discussion
To be invited to participate in this hour-long discussion, please complete this form. We will send you the link via a Google Calendar invitation to your email inbox. You can also pre-submit your questions to our team on this form.
To learn more about how to join a Zoom meeting, watch this short video. Zoom is free to use, and you can use the video call function on your computer, tablet or phone, or you can call into the meeting using the conference line function.
Member support allows us to offer engagement opportunities like this Lunch Break series. To regularly receive advance notification of what our nonprofit newsroom is planning and receive member-exclusive benefits — such as free Bridge event tickets, copies of our bimonthly Bridge Culture Club selections and more — become a Bridge Club member today.
We look forward to talking with you on Apr. 24.
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