Just weeks ago, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced her Community College Guarantee program would be implemented into community colleges this fall, promising all 2023 and 2024 high school graduates free tuition to their local community colleges. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a requirement for all state aid programs such as the CC Guarantee and Michigan Reconnect.
For months, the FAFSA form has been in national headlines for a series of complications and delays, putting students on edge and leaving them wondering what next steps they should take to further their education.
While many students thought the deadline to their FAFSA had passed, Grand Rapids Community College Executive Director of Financial Aid David DeBoe clarified that students still have plenty of time to submit their forms and get aid.
“The main thing I want to communicate is there is still time,” said Grand Rapids Community College Executive Director of Financial Aid David DeBoer. “A student can still file paperwork … the only thing the student has to do is fill out the FAFSA and confirm their (high school) graduation.”
Students and college staff have been dealing with delays and issues with gathering data since the form was updated to create a new and “easier” application process for students and parents back in December.
“I was having problems with signatures. It would pop up a white box every time me and my mom tried to fix it,” said Sandra Sundberg, 21, a Cardiovascular Technology Major at GRCC. “I think it should be waved off. It’s not fair that students are thinking about coming out of pocket and if they make payments it’s still a lot.”
GRCC’s July 31 tuition deadline has come and gone, leaving many students who are still struggling to complete their FAFSA forms feeling stressed about how they are going to finance their tuition.
“I got a note in my email saying I owed close to a thousand dollars and I was like well I came back to school because I was told that I would have it fully covered,” said Kaitlin Kamps, a returning GRCC student. “To proceed forward I have to do this paperwork which I’m not fully sure about. It seems like a lot of other people had to do it, so it makes me feel a little better that I’m not singled out.”
The Department of Education has acknowledged the issues surrounding FAFSA, with its latest complications causing them to delay “Batch Institutional Corrections” until 2025-2026
“We are grateful for your hard work and perseverance during this extraordinary year, which we acknowledge has been full of changes, difficulties, and delays,” Federal Student Aid wrote in a statement released on July 30.
DeBoer explained that there is no deadline for a student to receive state aid and the deadline for federal aid is not until June 31, 2025.
“In terms of the CC Guarantee, there is actually no deadline for fall,” said DeBoer. “The state will continue to provide us with the updated enrollment information … From what the state is telling us, we’re able to continue to qualify students as long as they fill out their part (of confirming their graduation).”
GRCC’s financial aid office is located on the first floor of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall. For any questions, students can visit their office to speak with an advisor or reach them at 616-234-4030, or by email at financialaid@grcc.edu.
Reporters Vanessa Hewitt, Alexa Cheaney and Shy’Ana Thomas contributed to this story.
