Students rap for the state Education Department's social media platforms.

Monument Mountain was one of eight high schools to host the 'Financial Aid Road Show' to encourage students and families to file FAFSAs for the more than $400 million in higher education aid. 

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Only half of the state's graduates completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid last year, and the Executive Office of Education wants to see that number grow.

Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler spoke to about 40 Monument Mountain Regional High School students as a part of the Higher Education Financial Aid Road Show on Thursday.

Gov. Maura Healey launched the effort February to encourage students and families to apply for available state financial aid. Tutwiler and other education leaders were meeting with students at eight high schools across the state. 

He reported that the FAFSA, infamous for its taxing nature, has become streamlined and there is about $400 million available in state financial aid.

"Would it surprise you to know that financial aid has doubled in Massachusetts over the past two years?" Tutwiler said to the high school students.

"You have a governor, Governor Healey, who is deeply, deeply, deeply committed to anyone who wants to being able to access higher education and removing as many barriers as possible."

His appearance was part of Healey's Higher Education Financial Aid Road Show 

Through MassEducate, tuition is free for the state's 15 public community colleges and those who qualify can get up to $2,400 for books and other costs. Tutwiler said tuition can be free or half the cost through FAFSA, explaining "How do you get access to all of these incredible financial aid benefits? There's one thing that you have to do: Apply for FAFSA."

"Research tells us that if you earn a four-year degree, your lifetime earning will be about a million dollars more than for someone who does not," he reported, adding that a two or four-year degree is seen as the most important factor in social mobility.

The problem is, only 51 percent of the state's graduates applied for the funding.  But why?

Both students and faculty expressed that the process seemed or was daunting. One student thought they wouldn't receive assistance because their family is middle class.

"I just think that if any one of these students had come up to me and asked me about the FAFSA before this, I would been, 'Ugh, it's the worst. It's terrible,'" teacher Valerie Zantay said.

"So part of the outreach you may think about doing is reaching out to the teachers and adults in the community to say it's changed. I would have given the wrong advice. I had no idea."

State Rep. Leigh Davis also found the application for her three children "extremely stressful."

On the other hand, senior Liam O'Gara found the application straightforward.

"There were a lot of steps to take but it was made simple and it was very clear what you had to do," he said.

Seventy-two percent of living wage or higher jobs require at least some college and 42 percent require a bachelor's degree. Last year, the U.S. Department of Education streamlined FAFSA to align with tax filings.

"They correlated the questions to the types of questions you would answer on your taxes like adjusted gross income, which drives a lot of the calculations," Assistant Secretary of Career Education Robert LaPage said.

"So now they've made it clear the information you need is already on this line of your taxes. Because they're correlating between those two, they don't need to ask many questions so it's much shorter, it's simpler, and it's been made straightforward."

There was concern about education funding with the current presidential administration. President Donald Trump has reportedly prepared an executive order to eliminate the Department of Education and has threatened to cut funding for institutions fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

"President Donald Trump could decide this week to take the first steps to eliminate the Department of Education, people familiar with the matter said, as he looks to dramatically shrink the size of the federal government," CNN wrote on Thursday.

"White House officials have prepared an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin the process of dismantling the department, the sources said. Trump has long signaled his intention to close the department, but fully eliminating it will require Congress to act, McMahon said during confirmation hearings earlier this year. She was confirmed Monday."

Tutwiler explained that he doesn't have authority beyond Massachusetts but "a lot of the signals, messages, and executive orders that have been coming from the federal government are not backed by the rules at all" and these things need to go through Congress.

"I am here to tell you that many of those things that they've attempted to do have been stopped by the court system," he said, adding that he feels confident that people awarded FAFSA will get it.

Superintendent Peter Dillon said he couldn't be more impressed with the students, explaining they were "super thoughtful" and asked all the right questions.

"Historically speaking, [FAFSA] is daunting and terrible and in the last couple of years, it got a lot better," he reported. "And it opens up doors."

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