>> THE >> FIRST MAJOR OVERHAUL OF THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID FORM SINCE THE REAGAN ERA WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE THE PROCESS SIMPLER CALLED THE BETTER SOME SAY NOT BETTER YET.

THE NEW PROCESS HAS BEEN RIDDLED WITH THE WAYS THAT HAVE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SCRAMBLING FOR A FIX AND THAT CONGRESSIONAL CRITICISM AND LEAVING MANY COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS IN LIMBO.

JOINING US NOW, OUR ABATES MANAGING DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE ACCESS AT CHICAGO SCHOLARS, WHICH HELPS FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS NAVIGATE THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY.

SAVANNAH PHILLIPS, A SENIOR GWENDOLYN BROOKS HIGH SCHOOL AND JOINING US VIA ZOOM, RICH HAYS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, CHICAGO.

WELCOME BACK.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I'M RICK JAMES, LET'S START WITH YOU, PLEASE.

BECAUSE WE SPOKE IN DECEMBER, IT WAS A BIG CONCERN ABOUT WHETHER THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE THIS FORM.

READY AND ONLINE READY TO GO AT THE END OF THE MONTH.

THAT WAS IN DECEMBER.

THEY DID MAKE THE DEADLINE.

BUT THERE STILL SOME SETBACKS, TECHNICAL PROBLEMS.

HOW WOULD YOU SAY IT'S BEEN GOING FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE?

IT'S CRAZY FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE NOT A GREAT TIME TO BE A FINANCIAL AID ADMINISTRATOR.

>> BUT WALKING MUCH TOGETHER OUT OUT SAY BUT YES, WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GET THAT PASSED?

WE CAME OUT DECEMBER 31ST.

IT WAS RIDDLED WITH SPORADIC WITHIN THE WEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET ON.

WE GET PAST THAT ONE HURDLE AND WE GOT HIT WITH MORE DELAYS BECAUSE IT WAS A THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GET FASTER DATA FROM STUDENTS AT THE END OF JANUARY.

DIDN'T HAPPEN.

AND NOW WE'RE GETTING VERY VAGUE STATEMENTS FROM DEPARTMENT OF ON WHAT WE SUPPOSED TO GET THAT DATA HELP OUR STUDENTS OUT.

OK, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR KEEPING YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR ABOUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, RICH, WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU?

I SEE STUDENTS FUTURE STUDENTS.

>> SO THAT THE VERY STUDENTS THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING OTHER ONES WHO ARE IN JEOPARDY OF OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ON WHICH SCHOOL THEY WANT TO GO TO BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE FINANCIALLY NOTIFICATIONS BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT GOT THE FAST, THE DATA THEY'RE TELLING US MEET MARCH.

THEY'RE NOT GIVING US A SPECIFIC DATE THERE SAY MID-MARCH, BUT HEARING THAT IT COULD BE LATER.

I WILL SAY THAT.

BELIEVE THAT THE DEPARTMENT DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN.

I BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL EVENTUALLY HELP STUDENTS.

BUT RIGHT NOW.

>> IT'S JUST BEEN RIDDLED WITH A HORRIBLE ROLLOUT.

AND I THINK THAT THEY JUST NEEDED MORE TIME TO GET IT RIGHT SO FAR, I SEE WHERE WE'RE ALREADY DOING CONTINGENCY PLANNING TO MAKE SURE A STUDENT, A HOME.

>> OKAY.

MAKE A BASE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE WHO WORKS LARGELY WITH STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE A POTENTIALLY A FIRST GENERATION GROWING COLLEGE-GOING STUDENTS.

WHAT HAS THIS BEEN LIKE FOR THEM?

>> IT'S BEEN INTERESTING TO SAY THE BUT I THINK FOR THEM RIGHT NOW AS RICH MENTIONED, THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOW IN THE AWARD LETTER PHASE, AT LEAST LETS THEM KNOW THAT THE PROCESS IS MOVING ALONG.

SO FROM THAT VANTAGE POINT, WE ARE THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED TO GET THEIR ACCEPTANCES.

THAT'S GOOD NEWS.

AND THAT ALWAYS KEEP IT TO OF.

BUT THE FACT THAT NOW THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO MAKE DECISION, WHICH IS OUR BIG NEXT THING IS DECISION DAY VETS.

THE ANXIETY I GO RIGHT AND MAY FIRST IS THAT DEADLINE BY WHICH NEED TO SAVANNAH, YOU'RE A SENIOR AND WOODLAND BROOKS COLLEGE PREP AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN NAVIGATING.

>> THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS.

WHAT'S IT BEEN LIKE FROM YOUR I DEFINITELY HAVE SEEN A LOT OF GROWTH AND THE COMMUNITY WITH THIS PROCESS.

MY DESTROYING MULTIPLE GROUPS HAD TEXT CHAIR >> WHERE THEY HELP EACH OTHER KIND OF GET THROUGH IT FOR ME PERSONALLY.

IT'S DEFINITELY MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE ANXIOUS ABOUT DECIDING WHERE I'M GOING GO TO SCHOOL BECAUSE ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WILL BE FINANCIALLY SAFE FOR YOUR FAMILY, ALTHOUGH YOU MIGHT WANT TO PURSUE ONE PLACE, IT JUST MAY NOT BE THAT'S WHY THE IS SUPPOSED TO HELP US IN RECENTLY >> HAVE FEELING THAT I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THOUGH WARD LETTER PART.

I DEFINITELY KNOW THAT THERE'S NEW THINGS COMING FOR ME AND THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF MY BIGGEST WORRY IS WHERE I'M GOING GO TO COLLEGE, NOT IF I'M GOING TO GO.

I THINK I HAVE A PRETTY SOMEWHERE.

WHERE WAS THE HOW IS THIS FINANCIALLY BEING SO DELAYED?

HASN'T SET BACK THAT DECISION MAKING SO RECENTLY?

WELL, BUT I DECIDED TO APPLY TO THESE COLLEGE IS A MAJORITY OF THEM WERE HBC USE AND THEY ARE VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE.

>> SO WITH THE DELAY IN THE FEST, BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY A LITTLE BIT OF A WRENCH IN LIFE LIVES BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE SARA LEE BE ABLE FOR A STIR >> BUT AS A FAMILY, WE'VE DECIDED THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL THE FASTEST WAY TO TRY OUR BEST TO MOVE FORWARD.

WE'VE DEFINITELY RIPPED APART OUR CAN CONTROL HOW WE HOW MANY WE APPLIED TO.

BUT WE CAN'T CONTROL HOW THAT HOW MANY NOT MAKE IT WILL THESE DELAYS.

HOW MIGHT THEY DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT PARTICULARLY STUDENTS OF COLOR FROM LOWER-INCOME BACKGROUNDS?

I MEAN, ARE MOST OF OUR STUDENTS ARE FIRST GENERATION AND LOW INCOME.

SO IT WILL IMPACT MAJORITY OF OUR SCHOLARS, PARTICULARLY.

>> WE DO OUR WORK THROUGH A MATCH, FIT FINANCIAL FEET.

SO YES, WE WANT DARST STUDENTS TO GO TO THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE ALL THE CLUBS AND THEIR MAJORS, BUT NEED TO BE ABLE TO 48.

SO THAT DELAY IS REALLY THE MAJOR, IMPACT ON OUR STUDENTS FOR RICH, THERE BEEN CONCERNS OVER THE FINANCIAL AID INFO BEING SHARED WITH THE IRS AND REQUIRING SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS FOR ALL CONTRIBUTORS ON THE FORM AND THE CONCERN THERE HAS BEEN WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD STUDENTS WHOSE PARENTS DON'T HAVE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS.

THOSE WHOSE PARENTS >> MIGHT BE UNDOCUMENTED AND HAS.

HAS THAT BECOME A CONCERN FOR THE STUDENTS THAT YOU WORK WITH?

>> MOST PART OF A FAST WORKSHOPS HAVE BEEN FLOODED WITH PARENTS WITHOUT SUCH A CUTE MEMBERS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY AROUND HOW TO COMPLETE THE FASTBALL RIGHT IN DEPARTMENT PUT OUT SOME GUIDANCE YESTERDAY.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHAT PARENTS CAN DO AND WHAT THEY'RE URGING STUDENTS TO DO RIGHT NOW IS TO EITHER WAIT FOR THEM TO MAKE THE FIX OR THEY CREATED.

AND THAT STEP WORK AROUND.

THAT MORE CONFUSING AND LESS IMPLICIT THERE.

THEN WE THOUGHT IT WOULD AND SO STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY WITH PARENTS THAT DO NOT HAVE SECURITY NUMBERS ARE KIND OF AT A STANDSTILL UNTIL THEY CAN GET THAT FIXED ALSO WANT TO I WANT TO SAY THAT OUR WE PUSHED ARE GETTING BACK TO JUNE FIRST INSTEAD OF MAY FIRST.

SO WE WANT TO STATE SCHOOLS TO DO THAT.

BUT YEAH, THAT WILL WALK YOU THROUGH THIS WITH OUR AND PARENTS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES WITHOUT SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN TO HELP.

>> WOW, OK, SO YOU'VE ALREADY MOVED BACK THAT THAT THAT ADMISSION REQUIREMENT DATE TO JUNE FIRST BY A MONTH, WHICH A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT.

I IMAGINE WHAT WHAT'S BEEN YOUR ADVICE?

SIMPLE, 9 STEP WORK AROUND.

THERE'S ALSO THE OPTION OF THE PAPER FORM FOR STUDENTS.

BUT RICH, WHAT'S BEEN YOUR ADVICE TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ABOUT THAT?

THEY PERFORM.

>> SO WITH A PAPER EVEN IF A STUDENT ASKING TO PAY SOME STUDENTS HAVE DECIDED TO GO THAT ROUTE.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT A PAPER UNTIL THEY START SENDING OUT ONLINE FASTER.

SO THE TIMELINE IS STILL GOING TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME.

IT'S NOT GOING TO MOVE IT UP IS NOT GOING TO GETTING FASTER.

AND SO WE'RE THAT IN A PARIS DECIDE KIND OF WHICH WAY THEY WANT TO GO, WHETHER THEY WANT TO THEY WANT TO SUBMIT A PAPER FASTBALL.

WHAT WE'RE DOING ON OUR SIDE IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE KEEP STUDENTS IN FORM.

AND SO I CAST NOW THAT STUDENTS KNOW WHAT SAY.

IT'S HAPPENING TO EVERYBODY.

IT'S NOT JUST WANT A GOOD WAY ACROSS.

YEAH, TO MAKE YEAH.

HOW WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE TO STUDENTS ABOUT HANDLING THE STRESS AND THE ANXIETY IN A COUPLE OF SECONDS.

THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO CONTINUE TO RESEARCH THE SCHOOL'S RIGHT.

JUST FINANCIAL THING IS NOT THE ONLY DISSENT PART OF THE DECISIONS.

SO USE THIS TIME TO LOOK AT THE OTHER THINGS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR STUDENTS.

ALL RIGHT, SAVANNAH, YOU SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, CONTROL WHAT CAN CONTROL.

WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING ON STUDYING AND HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THAT THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS?

SO I PLANNED A MAJOR AND WHATEVER SCHOOL I ATTEND IN THE FALL.

>> SORRY.

WAS I HOPE YOU'LL COME BACK AND SEE IN THE DEBATES AND CIA'S.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US.

I'M GLAD WE CAN STILL LAUGH ABOUT