PROGRESS: FAFSA IMPLEMENTATION
Last week, via social media, the Department and Secretary Cardona announced that more than 11 million students had completed the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. “That means 11 million students are taking their futures in their own hands & applying for the federal aid that they need to go to college,” the Secretary asserted. “#FAFSA changes lives & I cannot wait to see what the class of 2024 accomplishes.”
Through collective efforts, the nation has now closed the FAFSA submission gap between last year and this year from nearly 40% in March to around 8% today.
Meanwhile, the Department announced Jeremy Singer as FAFSA Executive Advisor in the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA). Singer is taking temporary leave from his role as College Board President. He will lead FSA’s overall strategy on the 2025-26 FAFSA form, working with agency leadership and the FAFSA implementation team to strengthen internal systems and processes, bolster technical capabilities, and drive innovation to help ensure optimal performance leading to the launch of the new form.
The Department heard from students, families, institutions, states, and those that support them that it is most important for the 2025-26 FAFSA form to be available on October 1, and the agency is working toward that goal. To minimize disruptions and increase the likelihood of a smooth experience for borrowers and institutions, the 2025-26 form will remain consistent with the 2024-25 form. FSA has made significant progress to address and resolve all major known issues with the 2024-25 form and will continue to make improvements to the form to enable a better user experience.
Moreover, the Department will continue to work with partners and solicit specific feedback on ways to improve the help text on the form, borrower tip sheets, and other direct communication to borrowers on successfully completing the 2025-26 FAFSA form. The agency will conduct a series of listening sessions over the coming weeks and publish a Request for Information (RFI). These sessions and the RFI will support the development of a new Better FAFSA, Better Future Roadmap, to be released in late summer (FSA Electronic Announcement).
CIVIL RIGHTS RESOLUTIONS
This week, the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the resolution of two complaints against the University of Michigan and nine complaints against the City University of New York (CUNY) alleging antisemitic, anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and/or anti-Muslim discrimination or harassment on their campuses. The resolutions are the first issued by OCR in connection to incidents that occurred after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. OCR is actively investigating dozens of complaints under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.
“Hate has no place on our college campuses — ever,” Secretary Cardona emphasized in a statement. “Sadly, we have witnessed a series of deeply concerning incidents in recent months. There’s no question that this is a challenging moment for school communities across the country. The recent commitments made by the University of Michigan and CUNY mark a positive step forward. [OCR] continues to hold schools accountable for compliance with civil rights standards, including by investigating allegations of discrimination or harassment based on shared Jewish ancestry and shared Palestinian or Muslim ancestry. We will continue to work with school leaders, educators, and students…to ensure that everyone has a safe learning environment.”
The resolution letters and agreements, available on OCR’s web page, ensure schools comply with Title VI, as well as outline how other schools must respond to similar incidents.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT CHAMPIONS
Across the country, 13 non-profit organizations and city municipalities — working in partnership with local schools — were named 2024 U.S. Department of Education Engage Every Student Recognition Program Champions for their efforts to expand access to high-quality after-school and summer learning programs for students. For the inaugural year of this recognition program, the Department received 57 nominations from 29 states. Each nomination was considered by state-level review teams comprised of State Education Agency (SEA) and State Afterschool Network (SAN) representatives, with state finalists recommended to the Department for final review.
In addition to providing quality extended learning programming, nominees demonstrated eligibility and excellence in the following areas:
· employing evidence-based approaches, including but not limited to prioritizing students needing supplemental support, having certified teachers delivering the academic instruction and tutoring, and engaging students in experimental learning that could feature project-based learning, enrichment, career pathways, and field trips;
· increasing K-12 student enrollment from school year 2022-23 to school year 2023-24 by a minimum of 20%;
· serving students who attend schools with 40% or more students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch at the beginning of school year 2023-24; and
· leveraging American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds and state and local funding to expand access to after-school and summer learning programs for students.
The Department will honor the Champions during the 2024 Engage Every Student Summit on July 16 in Washington, D.C. (Homeroom blog).
ADVANCING EDUCATION PROFESSIONS
Also this week, in Jackson, Mississippi, the Department hosted the last of three regional convenings to support state action to advance the education professions, in partnership with The Hunt Institute and TEACH.org.
These convenings brought together key leaders from more than 25 states, the District of Columbia, and American Samoa in cross-sector state leadership teams to learn from each other about effective efforts by states to increase educator compensation, expand access to high-quality and affordable pathways into the education professions, and increase educator diversity.
States highlighted over the three convenings included Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Washington.
CHARTER SCHOOL GRANTS
The Department is requesting applications for Grants to Charter Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools. Through this competition, the agency plans to award an estimated $92 million in new grants. The deadline to submit an application is June 27.
Grant funds may be used to significantly increase the student enrollment of, or add one or more grades to, an existing high-quality charter school or open one or more new charter schools or new campuses of a high-quality charter school based on the educational model of an existing high-quality charter school.
The agency is also inviting interested individuals to apply to be a peer reviewer of grant applications — visit Call for Peer Reviewers web page.
ODDS AND ENDS
For Father’s Day, President Biden issued a proclamation, Secretary Cardona spoke from the heart at an event in New York City, and the Department asked kids why they are thankful for their dads and other father figures in their lives.
· The President, Vice President Harris, and the Secretary also issued statements/posts on the anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
· And, the White House issued fact sheets on the Administration’s actions to preserve African-American history ahead of Juneteenth National Independence Day, counter Islamophobia, and build climate resistance.
· The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shared new findings from the School Pulse Panel, covering school emergency preparedness and safety procedures and school transportation.
· The latest episode of Inside Voices took place at the Department on Take Your Kid to Work Day.
· On June 17 and 18, Secretary Cardona was in Puerto Rico to highlight priorities and host a series of meetings with local leaders and community members in support of efforts to decentralize and transform education on the island, making schools responsive to the needs of students, families, and school communities (Secretary’s letter in English and Spanish).
· Then, on June 20, the Secretary visited Hudson Valley, New York, with Congressman Pat Ryan to deliver remarks at a ground-breaking ceremony for a career and technical education center, meet with teachers, and participate in a roundtable discussion on career pathways and workforce development.
· OCR issued new resources reminding students with disabilities and K-12, colleges, and universities of their respective rights and responsibilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with sickle cell disease, epilepsy, and cancer.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“A few days ago, we marked the 12th anniversary of taking care of DREAMers…. So many of them have graduated from high school and college and are starting families on their own, building successful careers, serving our nation in uniform, and so, so much more. We’re a much better and stronger nation because of DREAMers…. So, today, I’m announcing new measures to clarify and speed up work visas to help people, including DREAMers, who have graduated from U.S. colleges and universities [and] landed jobs in high-demand, high-skilled professions that we need to see our economy grow…. The second action I’m announcing today is about keeping families together — my dad used to have an expression; he’d say, “Joey, family is about the beginning, middle, and the end” — about keeping couples together who are married, where one spouse is a U.S. citizen, the other is undocumented, and they’ve been living in the U.S. for at least 10 years. These couples have been raising families, sending their kids to church and school, paying taxes, contributing to our country — as a matter of fact, the average time they’ve spent here is 23 years — but living in the U.S. all this time with a fear and uncertainty….. [T]his new action will allow them to file the paperwork for legal status in the U.S. [and] allow them to work while they remain with their families.”
— President Joseph Biden (6/18/24), from remarks at an event marking the 12th anniversary of DACA
UPCOMING EVENTS
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is holding office hours for school counselors and college access professionals who need assistance in helping students complete the 2024-25 FAFSA. School counselors will be live between 3 and 5 p.m. Eastern Time on June 24, 25, and 27 and July 1 and 2.
The next session in the Lessons from the Field webinar series, set for June 26 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. ET, will focus on youth and young adult experiences as school violence survivors and advocates.
Also on June 26 at 3 p.m. ET, the Department’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) invites interested parties to a webinar on transitioning gang-involved youth to higher education using career-connected education