Austin, TX

FAFSA delays stall Austin-area students’ college decisions into summer

Published

8 months ago

May 14, 2024

FAFSA delays stall Austin-area students’ college decisions into summer

Brian Lerma-Alfaro, a senior at Lehman High School in Hays County, started his Free Application for Federal Student Aid with paper forms in December.

After months of trying to submit the paper forms, he opened an online application in March.

Two weeks from graduating from high school, he’s still wading through technical difficulties.

“Literally, the only thing I need is a signature from my mom,” Lerma-Alfaro said. “When I go into her account, my form doesn’t pop up.”

Lerma-Alfaro received his acceptance to the University of Texas in February, where he wants to study data science and statistics. But he needs his aid package from the university — which requires the FAFSA form — to receive other scholarships.

He spent two hours in his counselor’s office Monday, trying to work through the form’s technical issue.

“It’s been a huge pain in the butt,” Lerma-Alfaro said.

Delays in the FAFSA process have plunged what’s already a stressful and cumbersome matter for high school seniors into a plague of uncertainty.

Weeks after the usual May 1 college decision deadline, many seniors are still waiting on aid information that’s crucial to making a decision.

A lot of things went wrong this year to create the uncertainty, said Shareea Woods, director of the Texas College Access Network. The organization is meant to improve students’ ability to attend college.

The U.S. Department of Education overhauled the entire system to one that’s meant to be a more streamlined, easier process.

However, glitches pushed back the opening of the FAFSA application process from the typical October date to January. The federal department also didn’t start processing applications until March.

Processing turnaround times are down to one to three days now, according to the federal department.

Burden on colleges

Cindy Melendez, the vice president of student success at Concordia University Texas in Northwest Austin, said universities’ largest challenge with sending out financial aid packages has been waiting on data from the U.S. Department of Education.

“We’re used to these packages going out in February,” Melendez said. “So from February to May, our staff has been really working hard to figure out how we prepare for this time when we have to condense packaging into a much shorter time frame than usual.”

For students with multiple acceptances trying to decide which college will give them the most educational bang for their buck, the delays are causing stress.

“There has been some understanding that our students need more time, especially our students that are coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds,” Woods said. “We’ve heard some stories of parents putting in deposits at multiple institutions so they can hedge their bet.”

Melendez said the university sent out the first round of aid packages last week. Because Concordia works so closely with families, the deadlines are very flexible, and university staffers have been working with applicants one on one to offer support and guidance.

The University of Texas included an option for students to extend their deadline to June 1. Miguel Wasielewski, vice provost of admissions, said about 1,000 students opted for more time, while about 9,000 committed to the university without knowing their financial aid packages. The office has been in contact with all 1,000 students, he said.

“In this case, it’s all about just making sure that we advocate wherever possible to get them the resources that they need, while also monitoring where they are in the process,” Wasielewski said.

To date, the university hasn’t noticed differences in the makeup of next year’s class compared with previous years because of the FAFSA delays, he said.

Brian Dixon, vice provost for enrollment management, said UT plans to start sending out packages this week. Earlier in the process, the admissions team identified some particularly strong candidates that it anticipated would need financial aid, something typically evaluated from FAFSA data, and offered some early tuition guarantees.

“The institution took that financial risk to try to provide the assurance for those students, and that has been highly effective,” Dixon said. “About 4 out of 5 students who received those early guarantees have taken us up on that offer.”

Cost of delays

Even if colleges let students push back their decision, the delays still cost them, Woods said.

A postponed college acceptance means students could miss out on summer boot camps that colleges offer for some intensive programs or might delay housing choices, she said.

“Our concern is some students may be so turned off by this process they may choose not to enroll,” Woods said.

For students who are still waiting, they should keep an eye on their inboxes and stay in communication with the colleges they’d like to attend, she said.

Dixon still thinks there will be problems to work out next year. For instance, students of parents without a Social Security number initially could not complete the form this year.

Nationwide, fewer students have completed the FAFSA this year compared with last year.

Only 50.4% of Texas high school seniors had completed the FAFSA by May 3, according to the federal Education Department.

By this time last year, 70% of students had completed the application, according to the Texas College Access Network. Even in 2021, which was a record low year because of the pandemic, 58% of Texas seniors filled out the application.

Dixon expects more students will still fill out the form once their peers start receiving letters.

Lerma-Alfaro is the only one among his group of friends left still awaiting an aid package, he said.

With graduation ahead, he’s been working to keep his grades up, look for jobs and spend time with his friends. The balance is already difficult, and he’s ready to get his college plans set in stone.

“I don’t like saving things until the last day,” Lerma-Alfaro said.

The Education Department has updates at studentaid.gov.

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Austin, TX

Where to recycle your Christmas tree in Texas

Published

5 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Where to recycle your Christmas tree in Texas

TEXAS — Once the holidays have passed, you are encouraged to give your natural Christmas tree another life by recycling it at any number of locations in Texas.

Most drop-off sites open on Dec. 26, but check with your city or county ahead of time to confirm.

There are typically guidelines for tree mulching and recycling. Check with your local recycling location for specifics, but the following rules, provided by Travis County, usually apply:

Only natural trees are accepted (no plastic/artificial trees)
Remove all ornaments, decorations, lights and tree stands (wooden blocks)
Remove all nails, screws, staples, wire and metal
Trees sprayed with flocking or artificial snow are not accepted
Do not place the tree in a “tree bag” or any plastic bag
Netting or rope wrapped around the tree is not accepted
Trees taller than 6 feet must be cut in half

Here are some locations where you can recycle your tree in Texas. The list isn’t exhaustive, so check online with your city or county for a location near you.

For recycling in Travis County, click here.
For the Austin area, click here.
For San Antonio, click here.
For Dallas, click here.
For Fort Worth, click here.
For El Paso, click here.

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Austin, TX

Texas A&M vs USC preview: Scouting report, predictions for Las Vegas Bowl

Published

14 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Texas A&M vs USC preview: Scouting report, predictions for Las Vegas Bowl

All that’s left in the season for Texas A&M football is the Las Vegas Bowl. With one game left, the Aggies head west to take on the USC Trojans for the first time since 1977.

Texas A&M (8-4, 5-3 SEC) dropped out of the US LBM Coaches Poll at the end of the season, while the Aggies’ next opponent is fighting to finish above .500. USC is 6-6 overall and is 11th in the Big Ten at 4-5.

BUY TICKETS TO TEXAS A&M VS USC

Will A&M take care of business in the final game of 2024? Can they send off Year 1 under head coach Mike Elko on a good note? How will the Aggies fare down three key defenders up front? Can Elko and the Aggies secure a nine-win season for the first time since 2020?

Here’s a full scouting report for the Texas A&M Aggies vs the USC Trojans:

Texas A&M vs USC in Las Vegal Bowl

When: 9:30 p.m. Friday.

Where: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

TV: ESPN.

Radio: 1370 AM in Austin; 1150 AM, 93.7 FM in College Station.

Line: Texas A&M is favored by 3½.

Weather: Allegiant Stadium is a dome, rendering the weather ~~to be~~ a nonfactor.

Texas A&M vs USC history

All-time: USC leads 3-0.

Last meeting: 47-28 USC win (1977).

Most memorable meeting: It hasn’t been an extensive history between the two programs, and it hasn’t been a joyous one for the Aggies either. The latest matchup came in the 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl, played annually in Houston.

The final meeting between the Aggies and Trojans was also the last time A&M played in the bowl game. A&M lost to USC, 47-28, aided by a then-bowl record four-touchdown pass performance from USC’s Rob Hertel. Trojans’ running back Dwight Ford broke a school record with 94 rushing yards.

Know the foe: USC

Last game: 49-35 loss to Notre Dame.

Players to watch: Thanks to increased player movement, it’s oftentimes hard to get a beat on who will and won’t play in non-playoff bowl games. However, looking at the Trojans’ offense, their passing attack was led by sophomore wide receivers Makai Lemon and Zachariah Branch. The duo have combined for 93 receptions, 1168 yards and four touchdowns. Branch is in the transfer portal and is not expected to suit up against the Aggies.

The Trojans started the year with Miller Moss at quarterback, but thanks to USC making a switch, sophomore Jayden Maiava is the starting quarterback now. He has made the last three starts for the Trojans, while Moss has entered the transfer portal, reportedly joining Louisville ahead of the 2025 season.

As a starter, Maiava has totaled 840 passing yards, seven touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Central Texas connections: The USC Trojans football team is a national brand, and with that comes an extensive reach on the recruiting trail. As a result, the Trojans’ roster has its fair share of Texas natives. In total, 11 players call the Lone Star State home, including junior tight end Lake McRee who is from Austin and played at Lake Travis.

When Texas A&M has the ball

It will be interesting to see how the Aggies handle the Las Vegas Bowl, with 19 players reportedly in the transfer portal and at least Nic Scourton already forgoing the bowl game for NFL aspirations.

What Aggies fans can expect to see is Marcel Reed getting plenty of work with him being viewed as the unquestioned starting quarterback heading into the new season for the first time.

Also, preseason-projected starting running back Rueben Owens made his first appearance against the Longhorns in Week 14 following a knee injury that made him unavailable for most of the year. It will be interesting to see if they once again give him game action to close out the year.

Look for the Aggies to work in young players such as freshman wide receiver Ashton Bethal-Roman who finished the year with four receptions, 44 yards and one touchdown in limited action as they head into next season.

When USC has the ball

The Trojans’ passing game is well-documented. They enter the game with the 10th-best passing attack in the nation, averaging 291.7 yards a game. Maiava will be looking for Makai Lemon for much of the evening, while Austin native Lake McRee is also a viable option.

Even with all the attention being paid to their passing game, senior running back Woody Marks tallied 1,133 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns this year, and will be a problem the Aggies will need to contend with as well.

Texas A&M vs USC key matchup

Aggies’ defensive backs vs Trojans’ receivers

A&M’s secondary will have its hands full with this Trojans passing attack, and it will be up to Will Lee III, Dezz Ricks and BJ Mayes to limit the big-play ability of USC’s passing attack.

While teams have had success running on the Aggies recently, the Trojans’ strength lies in the passing game, and A&M should be prepared for an aerial attack during the season finale.

Texas A&M vs USC predictions

Tony Catalina: It’s hard to get a beat on how these non-playoff games will go with all the changes and uncertainty. However, Mike Elko has a chance to get his ninth win of the season, and there is still enough talent in the program and coming back that I think A&M is able to find a way. Texas A&M 27, USC 20.

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Austin, TX

Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian Prasies Clemson Tigers QB Cade Klubnik

Published

22 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian Prasies Clemson Tigers QB Cade Klubnik

The Clemson Tigers weren’t able to pull of the massive upset against the Texas Longhorns in the first-round of the College Football Playoff, resulting in their season coming to an end.

It was a really solid 2024 campaign for the Tigers. They were able to win 10 games, the ACC Title, and made the newly expanded CFP.

However, going on the road against the Longhorns proved to be no easy task. While it was a 14-point loss, the argument could be made that Clemson exceeded some expectations, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Texas has one of the best defenses in the country, and certainly one of the best secondaries. Throwing the ball on the Longhorns has been something that few players have had success at this season. However, Cade Klubnik and the passing offense of the Tigers had one of their best games of the season in the big moment.

In the loss, Klubnik totaled 336 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and one interception. Considering Texas was allowing less than 200 yards per game through the air, this was an impressive showing.

After the game, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke very highly of Klubnik and what he was able to do against the Texas defense.

“I’m proud of Cade,” Sarkisian said via Clemson Insider. “I’ve known him for a long time, been recruiting him I feel like forever when he was in high school, and the fact that his career didn’t start off maybe the way he would have liked at Clemson, and there was a lot of expectations for him there, but to come out and have the season that he had this year for them, to get them to the playoffs, to be ACC champs, that’s a credit to him. He’s a very good football player.”

After a mediocre sophomore season, the Tigers quarterback took a massive leap in 2024. Overall, Klubnik finished with 3,639 passing yards, 36 passing touchdowns, and just six interceptions. While a lot of the attention goes to him throwing the ball, he was also able to rush for nearly 500 yards with seven scores.

The junior quarterback quickly became one of the best players at the position in the country, and was a massive part of why Clemson achieved as much as they did this season.

Now, the hope will be for the Tigers that Klubnik returns for his senior season. If he does, they will be entering 2025 with one of the best passing offenses in the country.

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