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Massachusetts pushes back FAFSA deadline to July 1

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Massachusetts pushes back FAFSA deadline to July 1


The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education has pushed back the priority deadline for the state’s largest financial aid program from May 1 to July 1 — allowing students more time as they scramble to sort through the messy rollout of federal updates to the financial aid application.

“Our message to students and families continues to remain the same: fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega. “This year’s extended deadline responds to feedback from students, campuses and other partners about this year’s unique challenges with FAFSA completion. We want students to know there are significant financial aid dollars available for those who qualify, and that persevering through completing the FAFSA is worth it.”

The extension allows students attending private and public higher education institutions more time to fill out the FAFSA form and receive state financial aid through the MASSGrant program.

The move follows the Biden Administration’s call for states to extend their FAFSA deadlines. The administration changed the financial aid application this year with a slew of changes including those to eligibility calculations — allowing an estimated 600,000 more students to qualify for Pell Grants — and procedures for packaging financial aid.

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Delays and glitches in the updated form’s rollout has left many families behind in getting their FAFSA submitted — then often corrected and resubmitted — and mass confusion officials and families have called “chaos” and a “catastrophe.” A U.S. House education subcommittee held hearings on the botched launch last week, and the Government Accountability Office is currently investigating the update process.

As of Mar. 29, 40% fewer high school students had completed FAFSA compared to the same date in 2023, the U.S. Department of Education reported.

Massachusetts is joining a list of several states that have extended the deadline, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Maryland, Mississippi and California. Many private and public colleges around the country have also pushed back deposit and financial aid deadlines to allow students time to sort out their FAFSA.

“We all want students and families to have the time they need to consider their financial options before making enrollment decisions,” the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and nine other national education organizations wrote in a letter urging colleges to extends the deadline and citing the precedent for FAFSA extensions set during the pandemic.

Many state legislators applauded the administration’s move to allow students more time. State House Speaker Ron Mariano said the impact will be most felt by “students most in need of financial support to make college a reality.”

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The Healey administration updates the MASSGrant program in November to allow Pell Grant eligible students free tuition to Massachusetts public colleges and universities and cut the tuition and fees in half for students whose families make between $73,000 and $100,000 annually.

“With FAFSA delays, this has been a challenging year for all students but particularly for those that attend state universities as so many of them are first generation to college,” said Salem State University President John Keenan. “The MASSGrant extension will provide families with a clearer picture of how they can obtain their bachelor’s degree, a dream within reach for many.”

State officials urged students to complete their FAFSA applications as soon as possible, noting that students who qualify for the state’s MASSGrant state aid program who file by July 1 are guaranteed to receive the aid. Students who cannot file FAFSA because of their immigration status may fill out the Massachusetts version MASFA to receive state aid.



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Massachusetts

Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks

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Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks




Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks – CBS Boston

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Poya Sohrabi hasn’t heard from his family since they took shelter from attacks in Tehran. WBZ-TV’s Mike Sullivan reports.

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How will the Iran war impact gas prices in Massachusetts?

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How will the Iran war impact gas prices in Massachusetts?


With a widening conflict in the Middle East after the American and Israeli attack on Iran Saturday, global markets are bracing for a shakeup in the energy supply chain.

So, here at home, what can consumers expect at the gas pump?

An increase in oil prices is almost always followed by an increase in gas prices. And the oil market has already reacted to the war. NBC News reported on Sunday that U.S. crude oil initially spiked more than 10%, while Brent, the international oil benchmark, rose as much as 13%.

Early Monday morning, reports were coming in of black smoke rising from the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City.

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While Iran’s oil reserves supply less than an estimated 5% of global production, the main concern is the Strait of Hormuz. This maritime passageway borders Iran at the bottleneck of the Persian Gulf, and more than 20% of the world’s oil passes through. If Iran closes or restricts Hormuz, the oil market could face severe disruptions.

Gas prices rise about 2.5 cents for every dollar increase in crude oil prices. As of Sunday, U.S. crude oil prices had already increased by nearly $5 a barrel.

“I fully expect that by Monday night, you could credibly say that gas prices are being impacted by oil prices having gone up,” GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan told NBC News.

GasBuddy characterizes their expectations for price increases as “incremental” rather than “explosive”. The group said to anticipate a potential 10-15 cent increase over the next couple of weeks.

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Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News

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Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News


EASTON, Mass. (WBZ) — Police body camera video shows an Easton, Massachusetts, officer rescuing a 78-year-old Raynham man from a burning car on Friday morning.

A Mack dump truck was experiencing problems on the side of Turnpike Street just after 2 a.m. when a Ford pickup truck struck the back of it, according to police.

The pickup truck then became stuck under the dump truck, trapping the driver, Francis Leverone, inside. A Toyota Camry then hit the back of the pickup truck and caught fire, police said.

Easton police officer Dean Soucie arrived at the crash and saw that the two vehicles were on fire. Video shows Soucie rushing over before breaking the driver’s side window and then, with the help of the two witnesses, freeing Leverone from the pickup truck. Soucie said he was confused but conscious.

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“As I reached inside the vehicle, one of the passersby — he actually jumped into the cab of the truck, and he helped me free the individual,” Soucie said.

They then carried the driver to safety.

Leverone was taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to a Boston hospital. He received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

No one else was injured in the crash.

Dee Leverone told WBZ her husband is doing OK. “I’m just thankful for the people that got him out,” she said. “Very thankful.”

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After watching the police body-cam video on the news she said, “I was shocked, I was like ‘Oh my God!’ I just couldn’t believe it. His truck is like melted.”

She says she realized that something was wrong last night when her husband never made it home from work.

“I kept trying to call him and call him, and I finally got a hold of him at like 4:30 a.m., and he was at (Good Samaritan Hospital) and he told me he’s gotten in an accident,” Dee said.

She says he’s recovering at the Boston Medical Center and being treated for a dislocated hip.

“He’s a trooper,” Dee said. “He’s a strong man — and you know he’s 78, but you know he’s a toughie. He definitely is a toughie.”

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Soucie commended the help of the two witnesses and said that before he arrived at the crash, they had attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher and removed a gasoline tank from the pickup truck before it could ignite.

“They jumped into action like it was nothing,” Soucie said. “Those two individuals were absolutely awesome.”

Easton Police Chief Keith Boone said that he is “extremely proud” of Soucie and the witnesses.

“He saved a life last night,” Chief Boone said. “He is an exemplary police officer and this is just one example. I think he’s a hero.”

Turnpike Street was closed for several hours following the crash. Easton Police are investigating.

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