Wisconsin
FAFSA delays still causing stress for Wisconsin students and parents
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – FAFSA applications reached a new low as high school seniors try to submit their forms through a new portal process.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, submissions for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) dropped down 33.9% from 2023.
High school counselors, college finance experts and elected officials all said the new application process is to blame for the low turnout.
”The problem is the form,” La Follette High School Academic Career Planning Coordinator Annie Hand Braga said. “There have been all of the things that were promised with this better FAFSA that students would be able to do, they just haven’t all materialized or they didn’t materialize when the form opened.”
Braga and La Follette High School Multilingual Counselor Vanessa Hlavacka work with students and their parents to help them go through the financial aid process. The two said some students would not be able to attend college without help from the federal government.
”When we were finally able to submit, it brought me to happy tears for this student just knowing what it means for him and his family,” Hlvacka said. “It’s life changing for so many people. Even without those kinds of scholarships in mind, just the opportunity to see what kind of financial support is out there from the government, makes college attainable for many of our students.”
The U.S. Dept. of Ed. rolled out a new online application portal this year to make the process simpler. Under Secretary James Kvall acknowledged the new format did not go as planned.
“We have had some bumps get in there this year,” he said. ”It’s required us to replace up to 20 computer systems. Some of which are older than the parents that are filling out the form. So, it’s a major major IT project for us and it has been a challenging one.”
He said Congress voted to make legislative changes with FAFSA in 2020 and this was part of the result. When asked what his department is doing to improve things, he said they’ve made significant progression over the last few weeks. “We’ve made a lot of progress within the last few weeks,” he said. “The FAFSA is now up and running smoothly. We’ve had about 9 million people submit their FAFSA and we’re processing them in about one to three days.”
UW Madison Assistant Director of Federal Rewards Katy Weisenburger said her office is working to extend deadlines for students who, to know fault of their own, couldn’t make the FAFSA process work.
”I have seen a lot of students be very discouraged, yes, for sure…. I have had parents crying about not being able to get this done,” she said. “It’s a really awful situation. I would not be surprised if some students choose to not apply for financial aid or choose to not go to school because of this situation, which is really sad.”
Weisenburger said college hopefuls and their parents should continue to reach out to the FAFSA helpline and call their desired school’s financial aid offices to request deadlines.
UW Madison’s Financial Aid Office can be reached at 608-262-3060 for help.
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The Wisconsin Badgers fell just short in their pursuit of 2026 three-star defensive tackle King Liggins, who had been a priority target for nearly a year.
Liggins committed to a rival school on Wednesday, staying home to play for the Illinois Fighting Illini, while the Badgers came second in the recruitment.
The Badgers had been in need of a defensive tackle in their 2026 class, which the 6’4, 285-pound lineman would’ve been able to fill. They currently have seven commits in their recruiting class, with three-star defensive end Carmelow Reed being the lone defensive lineman thus far.
Wisconsin still has a few official visits scheduled for the rest of next month at the position, including three-stars Jermaine Polk, Arthur Scott, and Djidjou Bah.
Liggins became Illinois’s 16th commitment in the 2026 cycle, and the Fighting Illini now have the eighth-best class in the country, according to 247Sports.
The Badgers are just a week out from the start of their first major official visit wave. Next weekend will be crucial in bolstering their 2026 class, which has some good pieces already and needs to start filling out now.
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Two female students have died in a suspected murder-suicide at a residence hall at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
A spokesperson with the university confirmed with Fox News Digital that Kelsie Martin and Hallie Helms, both 22, were found with gunshot wounds at Wilgus Hall, a student residence hall, in what authorities believe to be a murder-suicide at approximately 4 p.m. local time on Monday, May 19.
Helms, an elementary education major, was pronounced dead at the scene. Martin, a psychology major and assistant resident director, was transported to Southwest Health, and then flown to UW Hospital, where she later died.
A preliminary autopsy found that Martin was determined to have died by gunshot wound, and Helms died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the school said, noting that “all indications at this time from the preliminary autopsy suggest a murder-suicide.”
IVY LEAGUE SUICIDES, PRINCETON’S 8TH STUDENT DEATH IN 4 YEARS EXPOSE CRISIS AT ELITE SCHOOLS
Students leave with their belongings from Wilgus Hall after a shooting at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Mark Hoffman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
The university’s police arrived at the scene following a call for a “disturbance.” Photos following the incident captured college students being escorted out of the residence halls as police investigated the incident.
The school said that “no other subjects are suspected to have been involved in the incident.”
The university canceled final exams for the remainder of the week. Counseling is being offered to the campus community, and a toll-free emotional support line is available at (844)602-6680 or (720)272-0004.
Personnel from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab are shown at Wilgus Hall after a shooting at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Mark Hoffman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Helms graduated magna cum laude with a degree in elementary education, and Martin graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology on Saturday, May 17, according to the university’s graduation program.
Helms was from Baraboo, Wisconsin, and transferred to UW-Plateville in the spring of 2023 after attending UW-Baraboo.
Martin was from Beloit, Wisconsin, and had served as an assistant resident director on campus for the past three years, according to a “Student Staff Spotlight” posted by the university residence life office on Facebook.
WISCONSIN SCHOOL SHOOTING BY FIRST-SEMESTER STUDENT LASTED 8 MINUTES: OFFICIAL
Students wait to be escorted to their dorms to gather their belongings from Wilgus Hall following an emergency incident at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on May 19, 2025. (Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
The university said in a Facebook message on Tuesday, “Thank you to all who have reached out to us through messages and offered to support in so many meaningful ways. We are overwhelmed by your kindness.”
“We are a close community, and this outpouring of care is a powerful reminder of who we are. We do not take it for granted. #PioneerStrong,” they added.
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Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wrote on Facebook, “I’ve been briefed on the situation at UW-Platteville, and we will continue to remain in close contact with university officials. As we await more information, please keep UW-Platteville students, faculty, staff, and the greater Platteville community in your thoughts.”
The UW-Platteville Police Department declined to comment on the incident, referring Fox News Digital to the university’s statement.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Efforts to reduce overdose deaths appear to be working, both here in the state and around the country.
A new report from the CDC shows that the number of deaths due to drug overdoses dropped 27% in 2024, the largest one-year decline ever, some 30,000 fewer deaths.
Zeroing in on Wisconsin, the decrease was even more dramatic, more than 36%. This marks the 2nd year in a row that overdose deaths have decreased in the state after a steady rise since the pandemic.
Abby Brezinski is CEO of the Jackie Nitschke Center, the only adult residential treatment center for substance addiction in Brown County. Brezinski discusses the latest overdose numbers in the video above.
Copyright 2025 WBAY. All rights reserved.
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