SAC Representative, Alondra Velazquez Speaking at the FAFSA workshop

Most Morton East students have not filled out FAFSA.

According to Google’s AI overview, approximately 17–20 million students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. FAFSA determines a student’s eligibility for various aids such as grants, loans, and work studies. To qualify for FAFSA, one must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen with a high school diploma or GED, be enrolled in an eligible program, not be in default on federal loans, and must also demonstrate financial need. In a random survey of 103 Morton East High School students, 71 or 69% said they have not filled out FAFSA.

“I did not know about the financial aid requirement. After high school I plan to go to Morton College to study auto mechanics. I think FAFSA is helpful to pay for classes,” said senior Arturo Tolento.

While some students want to go to college, some don’t want to go to college.

“I did not know about the financial aid requirement. After high school I do not plan to go to college. I want to become a construction worker with my dad,” said sophomore Jonathan Chavez Avelar.

Some students want to proceed in a trade or union.

“I did know about the financial aid requirement. After high school I plan to get my CDL and become a truck driver. I am still planning which school to attend for my CDL,” said junior Damian Rendon.

A lot of students have an idea of what they want to do after high school but are still planning.

“I did know about the financial aid requirement. After high school I plan to work for CTA and go to college. I am still sort of planning my plans for after high school,” said junior Michael Zuniga.

A lot of students didn’t know about the requirement, while others have already completed FAFSA.

“I have already filled out FAFSA. It was easy to fill and I got help at the college and career center. I am still in the process of applying to colleges, but I plan to attend either the University of Michigan, UIC, or DePaul,” said senior Nonantzin Contreras.

While some people may have a positive view on FAFSA, not everybody has the same opinion.

“I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where classes were difficult, but I learned a lot from it. I lived in a dorm for three years, went to a few parties, and had a lot of fun. FAFSA didn’t help me much because my dad made good money, and I think it’s unfair that it counts step-parents’ income, and now my son is not able to qualify for FAFSA. I was able to take out a $7,500 student loan from FAFSA, but I had to pay it off with help from an Air Force scholarship, my family, and summer jobs like mowing lawns, telemarketing, and cashier work. I earned my master’s degree 11 years after I got my bachelor’s,” said Spanish teacher Matthew Russo.

Some teachers may not have gotten as much help with FAFSA, while others received a lot of help.

“FAFSA was a great opportunity that allowed me to keep studying. I received the full amount and got a full ride at UIC, plus a $500–$600 refund each semester that I used for concerts. I only paid out of pocket for books, finding used ones through classmates, free PDFs online, or making copies at school,” said Spanish teacher Esmeralda Ortiz.

Some teachers received the help of FAFSA, barely paying anything out of pocket.

“I earned my master’s degree from Eastern Illinois University and attended Governors State University. FAFSA helped me a lot of the time, covering my last three years of college. I think the system should change because my kids didn’t qualify because the state assumes we make too much money. I think the more people in our country that have access to education after high school, the better it would be because their money would contribute to the tax dollars. If you just keep me on a high school diploma, I wouldn’t be making as much money compared to a college education,” said photography teacher Alonso Balderas.

ISAC is on hand every Tuesday and Thursday in the College and Career Center to help students fill out their FAFSA; take advantage of their services — it’s free.