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In recent weeks, universities and universities have found themselves at the center of the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape American society and culture. As a government Excerpts from the university and Trying to expel students Experts are asking questions based on their participation in the protests The Future of American Colleges And this country’s A bigger place on the world stage.
However, many freshmen have different, more basic anxiety: they just want to know if they can pay for the school.
Trump administration highly publicizes Efforts to demolish the education sector According to nonprofits supporting university visits, some students question whether federal student aid still exists. “Students want to know if FAFSA Marcos Montes, director of cyber policy at the Southern California College, told me.
Others are worried they will not be able to obtain federal Pell grants or other required university financial aid.
As of now, Pell grants and FAFSA may apply for federal student aid for free. But some students are concerned that if they apply for federal aid using FAFSA, information about their family immigration status may be shared with the ICE – an issue that college counselors and advocates cannot completely eliminate. This fear helps Decrease federal financial aid applicationsMontes said.
Seniors who are about to graduate also care about other issues, such as whether they can exercise freedom of speech on campus. But the biggest concern for many young people is about “the important resources they need to pursue higher education,” said Robles-Reyes, whether those resources are still available under Trump.
Remind that while universities and universities have become topics of intense political debate, students and professors are Symbol of Decade of abolished liberalism For many on the right, higher education is also an increasingly necessary career step. Most Americans do At some point. This step may become more difficult for high school students this year, especially those who are low-income or the first seniors in families to apply for college.
Students are really afraid of paying for college
It should be clear that the Ministry of Education still exists and cannot be closed without Congressional actions. However, the Trump administration has Announced layoffs Of more than 1,300 department employees, in March, Trump Signed an executive order Instructed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to “close the department to the maximum extent that the law is appropriate and permitted.”
One of the largest functions of the education sector is to oversee the federal student aid system, including Pell Grant (Test-based rewards up to $7,395 per year) and federal student loans. Grants and loans are crucial for low- and middle-income students across the country Tuition fees for ordinary universities From about $11,000 per year for public institutions to over $43,000 per year for private schools (at the same time, the average annual salary in the United States is About $66,000). As of the 2019-20 academic year, 55% of undergraduate students Get some form of federal aid.
So high school students are scared when they hear that the department may be “closed” or “demolished.” “There’s a lot of chaos,” Montes said.
The students are asking: “I should drop out and wait for another president because I don’t know if I want to get financial aid that I need to pay for the university?” Robles Riyes said.
trump card Already said Funding for Pell grants and student loans will not be affected by changes in the education sector, and there is no indication that the Trump administration is planning to cut student aid directly. but Experts say The department’s layoffs and the government’s plan to transfer some of its functions to other agencies may lead to loan spending errors or lack of support for borrowers. Students have a glimpse of the dysfunction in student aid last year, New FAFSA Form The prevalence of technical problems has led to Long delay and application barriers for students and families.
“The biggest aid I received was obtained from the federal government,” said Nomar, a first-year college student, who asked not to use his last name. He fears that if student aid moves to another department, his loan or grant may be delayed, preventing him from registering for classes.
For students with parents or other family members, at the same time, there is an additional question: Fill in FAFSA It can reveal the immigration status of their family members to the federal government, making them vulnerable to deportation (the form applies to the applicant for a parent’s social insurance number, which is not usually true of undocumented immigrants). Federal law prohibits the use of FAFSA data for any purpose other than student aid, but experts warn students that there is no guarantee that the Trump administration will not use its data to implement immigration enforcement against its family members.
Robles-Reyes told me that Onegoal told students that they had no indication that FAFSA data would be used to deport. But, she said: “We can’t promise not.”
Even outside of federal aid, students have financial fears. Lila, a California high school student who asked her not to use her last name, told me she was worried about losing opportunities for scholarships targeting people of color and other historically marginalized groups. Many of these scholarships are designed to address centuries of racism and other biases in other education, but now they are part of their goal. Trump’s efforts to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Trump’s opposition efforts are also affecting universities in other ways, some of which Overhaul or close the officeAnd others Disband affinity group For women, students of color or LGBTQ Students. Montes said, “Their limited students want to know if they will have the same service as before.” “They aren’t sure what it would be like to go to college next year. ”
Young people are also paying attention Ice officer arrests students Legally in the United States, it is apparently based on their participation in pro-Palestine protests or advocacy. Montes said high school students have been asking for “rights training” and “trying to figure out how they express their voices.”
Green card holder Nomar told me: “I have to be cautious about what I say.”
Disturbance to universities may derail students’ future and state and country
Montes said increased levels of fear and uncertainty about colleges could have serious implications for seniors who are about to graduate. In California, the number of high school students completing FAFSA is 25% decrease In February, the number of students applying for at least one undocumented parent fell by 44% compared to the previous year.
For some people, there may be no college without FAFSA. “Without financial aid, colleges will be very inaccessible for first generation students and students from low-income backgrounds,” Montes said.
In turn, colleges can cause long-term damage to students’ careers. “The university is the number one workforce training there,” Montes said.
It’s not just a personal issue. “Our economy needs a skilled workforce,” said Robles-Reyes. “If these disruptions from the Ministry of Education cause more students to not be enrolled, then our economy is indeed at risk.”
Montes said state policymakers can get help from college students by making state financial aid applications easier. For example, in California Students can apply for national financial aid Don’t worry about their data being shared with the federal government.
When it comes to freedom of speech, high school student Lila wants to see college support their students: “I’m afraid that what’s going on in college is that they succumb under pressure and just change their policies to continue to get funding,” she said.
Norma said colleges and elected officials also need to get students updated on how Trump administration policies affect their education so that “when we start the semester, we don’t have such huge concerns or these huge issues that will lift us out of the work that comes here.”
Despite the drastic changes in the past two months, Nomar is still very clear about the purpose of his life in college. As a first generation of students “growing up where education is very little”, he likes “the opportunity to expand my knowledge and grow into one.”
“To me, going to college is the gateway to the world,” he said.
Delaware Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester and 22 other Democratic senators Sent a letter This week, Linda McMahon asked Education Secretary Linda McMahon for information on how the education department plans to protect rights Disabled Students In layoffs, cutting and restructuring. The department’s recent “Reduce strength“Your ability to perform statutory duties to students with disabilities will be seriously damaged by eliminating nearly half of the workforce,” the senator wrote.
one 1,500 Survey of Floridians aged 11 to 13 Discovering that owning your own cell phone is actually related to many positive outcomes, including higher self-confidence and even spending more time in person with friends. However, issues related to increased risk of anxiety and depression are frequently posted on social media.
at the same time, Recent polls For common sense media, ask children and parents what factors “make the family stronger”. For children, the most important answer so far is “parents who listen to their children”, followed by “parents accept their children anyway.” (For parents, the highest answer is quality education.)
My little kid and I have been reading Rocks in the skya 2021 picture book, tells the story of a large rock falling from the sky and the reactions of some small animals to it. I chose to see it as a story about anxiety, predicting the future, and of course, the danger of falling objects.
Common sense media polls have made me think of what children and parents want and need each other. If you are a parent, what do you think your child wants the most now? What do they need (this may be very different)? For everyone: When you were a kid, the people you wanted and needed to raise you the most? What do you think today’s children need the most now? Please let me know at anna.north@vox.com!
