With layoffs at the federal level and the possibility of further budget cuts in the future, some parents of high school juniors and seniors are starting to worry about the stability of financial aid.  

This year at the State University of New York (SUNY), nearly half of first-year undergraduates are Pell Grant recipients, an indicator of students from low-income backgrounds; yet nationally, the rates of FAFSA completion, the free application for federal student aid, have dropped 20% among high school students compared to last year. 

Neither the Pell Grants nor the FAFSA have been affected by the dismantling of the federal Department of Education, but some students report fearing that if they use the FAFSA to apply for federal aid, information about their families’ immigration status could be shared with ICE.

Capital Tonight spoke with SUNY Chancellor Dr. John King, Jr. about how the university system is helping students navigate financial aid with a federal grant from AmeriCorps.