New Mexico

Financial aid upheaval puts college students at risk • Source New Mexico

Published

2 years ago

April 26, 2024

Financial aid upheaval puts college students at risk • Source New Mexico

Maureen Ford has already been accepted to nine colleges and universities as she waits to graduate from Navajo Preparatory School on May 20. She wants to be the first generation in her family to graduate from college.

But first she needs to get her federal financial aid fixed as the clock ticks toward a May 1 deadline. Like many students across the country, Ford will rely heavily on financial aid to meet her goals.

Although she filed her application in January, the system still won’t allow her to complete the process.

“It’s very frustrating because I really want to know and submit my application because a lot of my colleges are asking for it,” Ford told ICT. “May 1 is coming up, and I need to make my decision on where I want to go to college. I really need to find out how much aid I am getting because I need financial aid for every college.”

Ford is among millions of students whose financial aid remains up in the air after changes to the national Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, have upended the application process.

Online system glitches, calculation errors and incorrect tax information have all contributed to the data exchange madness between the U.S. Department of Education, on-the-ground school specialists and students.

The changes could hit particularly hard for students at tribal colleges and universities and historically Black colleges and universities, where as many as 70-90 percent of students rely on financial aid, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Maureen Ford, who is set to graduate from Navajo Preparatory School in Farmington, New Mexico, on May 20, 2024, is among millions of students whose financial aid for college remains up in the air after changes to the national Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA. (Photo courtesy of Maureen Ford)

Typically, 17 million students submit the form each year, but applications were down 40 percent nationwide as of March 29, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Delays have pushed back the timelines on the FAFSA process, which typically opens in October and responds to students by March. Most college award letters will start to arrive in May.

“The amount of stress that it’s causing students is pretty monumental,” said Sam Bader, a Kānaka Maoli teacher at Navajo Prep in Farmington, New Mexico, who helps students navigate the college application process.

The uncertainty is creating headaches not only for Native students and their parents, but also school counselors, college admissions administrators and executives.

Twyla Baker, Mandan-Hidatsa and Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College president, voiced concerns on social media about how the delays and glitches are affecting Native students.

“Requiring changes in FAFSA without funding resources to do so is a great way for politicians to cause problems for our most vulnerable students,” Baker wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Millions of college students [are] in limbo.”

What is FAFSA?

The application system for financial aid was originally set up under the 1965 Higher Education Act under President Lyndon B. Johnson to establish the U.S. government as the primary provider of financial aid for college students.

The application was initially called the Financial Aid Form, or FAF, as an optional form for colleges and universities. In 1992, when the Higher Education Act was reauthorized by Congress, the form was standardized to FAFSA for all prospective students.

Federal financial aid can include Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, or SEOGs, which do not need to be repaid. Students can also receive federal direct student loans, which require repayment, and can participate in federal work-study programs.

With the details provided in FAFSA, the government uses a formula to calculate a student’s aid index – how much the government estimates the family can provide for college tuition and expenses.

A key component is that families are not required to be low-income to qualify for assistance. Students whose parents earn as much as $200,000 a year can be eligible for aid.

Many don’t ever apply, however. According to the College Board, millions of dollars in federal aid are left on the table because students failed to file a FAFSA. The College Board is a nonprofit organization that provides information to help students succeed in college.

This year, changes ostensibly to make the system easier have instead caused delays, with the government pushing back the deadlines from March 1 to May 1 for applying.

FAFSA Help Available

Stressed out waiting for your college financial aid awards letter after filing your FAFSA?

Counselors are in the same boat, waiting on pins and needles to hear back from the U.S. Department of Education. Their advice: breathe, be patient and stay in touch with your selected colleges for the fall semester.

If you haven’t yet filled out the FAFSA form, you have until May 1 to complete the process.

Here are some tips for navigating the system:

*If you are starting the application from scratch, follow these 8 tips.
*Keep checking back on your submitted application and make any corrections required.
*Have patience.
*Stay in touch with your counselor, college advisor and college financial aid office.
*In your state, research other financial aid avenues: state, public and private scholarships.
*Apply for scholarships at your selected college.
*Don’t give up. Persevere.

The revamped system does include some advantages, however. The number of questions on the form has been reduced from 103 to about 30, and applicants can fill out their income and college choices in a way that is considered more streamlined.

A new formula for determining financial aid will also make more students eligible for assistance, by making more low-income and medium-income families qualify. It also opens up eligibility requirements for homeless youth, foster care youth and incarcerated individuals, and allows more than one member in a family to attend college on aid.

“One of the big things, of course, is the new formula,” said Ruben Reyes, a public outreach coordinator for the New Mexico Educational Assistance Foundation who holds FAFSA workshops for counselors, parents and students.

“So that’s a positive thing,” Reyes said. “More students are going to be able to get more federal aid.”

Most college officials tout the new rollout, despite the roadblocks.

“It is a lot easier for a student and family members to complete the FAFSA than it ever was before,” said Michaela Willis, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at South Dakota State University.

“It doesn’t take very long,” Willis said. “You don’t have to give up three hours of your time. Fifteen minutes to a half-hour, and you could be finished with that FAFSA. So go out there, check it out, and get it done. It’s pretty quick and easy.”

Meanwhile, counselors are encouraging students in limbo to apply for state and private scholarships, the applications for which are usually readily available in high school and college financial aid offices.

New Mexico, for example, offers free in-state tuition to state residents to attend public colleges now, plus offering the New Mexico Opportunity grant and the lottery scholarship.

Some states also offer free tuition to Native students, but financial aid experts said the students are still eligible to apply for other grants and scholarships to help offset costs.

Counselors, also in wait mode, expect their jobs to extend into the summer months and maybe even into the fall.

“Unfortunately, financial aid staff will be under a massive workload in processing records for aid due to all the system glitches, calculations, and tax errors,” Reyes said. “Many corrections will need to be addressed, further delaying the process of awarding student aid for the fall.”

Impact on TCUs

The upheaval is creating problems for tribal colleges and universities as well.

In New Mexico alone, about 28 percent fewer graduating high school students – including Indigenous students – have yet to file their FAFSA.

Reyes said the year has been hectic.

“We are all working as hard as we can to try to ease the pain to all the students and families being Native American or any New Mexico student residents here in New Mexico,” Reyes said. “The new FAFSA rollout has been quite a challenge.”

At South Dakota State University, Willis said about 23 percent of self-identified American Indian and Alaska Native students did not complete the FAFSA for the 2023 or 2024 academic years.

“That does mean that 75 to 80 percent are relying on federal financial aid in part for their schooling,” Willis said. “We also know that within a specific group of students are Wokini Scholars, who must be tribally enrolled to be eligible for that scholarship. About 18 percent did not complete the FAFSA.”

At the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, counselor Scott Whitaker said that the institute staff cannot view even the applications submitted in January, further delaying the process.

“We can’t bring them in like we normally do and load them into our computer systems and start awarding financial aid based on that,” Whitaker said.

About 75 percent of IAIA students are Native American – about the same percentage as those who attend one of the 37 tribal colleges in the nation.

“I imagine it’s similar because we’re all drawing from a very similar population,” said Whitaker, a 35-year veteran in college financial aid.

Looking ahead

Meanwhile, as her high school graduation approaches, Ford faithfully returns to the online application in hopes of making the corrections the system has flagged.

It hasn’t been as simple as promised.

“I filed it back in January, but I’m currently waiting to make corrections,” she said. “There’s a button and it’s not letting me press it. There’s a notification saying that I’ll have to wait a couple more weeks in order to make corrections.”

Julia Begay, who is set to graduate from Navajo Preparatory School in Farmington, New Mexico, on May 20, 2024, waited four months to hear back on her college financial aid after changes to the national Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, upended the process. (Photo via Zoom)

Aiming to study human health or biological sciences, Ford dreams of attending Emory University in Georgia or Reed College in Oregon. She’s also interested in the University of Colorado.

“When I got most of my acceptances, it kind of boosted my confidence and made me want to finish high school,” Ford said. “I’m just really excited for what the future holds for me.”

Despite the hold-ups, Ford remains determined.

“I can’t really do anything,” she said. “I just have to wait and see. I check every day, every hour of the day.”

Julia Begay, another Navajo Prep senior, was accepted to 11 of the 14 colleges she applied to, but has received only two financial aid award letters. Waiting four months to hear back from FAFSA was a bit excruciating, but she has since committed to attend Seattle University.

“It was really torture,” said Begay, also a first-generation student to attend college. “My Mom, you know, has never experienced this before. So it was a first for both of us, and we were both just getting really impatient because I had to make these college decisions. But I couldn’t make it without my financial needs. It was really, really frustrating.”

After going through the process, Begay has sage advice for peers.

“Have patience and don’t worry about it too much,” Begay said. “Keep yourself busy and fill out what you need to fill out and do what you need to do.”

Reyes also tells students and parents not to lose faith.

“You’re still going to get that state aid, but just know that that federal aid will come in time,” said Reyes. “The schools may be a little bit behind on getting everything processed for you, but they will get it done eventually.”

He continued, “Just go through the process, make sure you get your admissions application done. Make sure you attend orientation in the fall. That’s very important at your chosen college. Go through all the steps and just move forward. Even if your financial aid award offer is not ready yet, just pretend that it is okay.”

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New Mexico

New Mexico Dominates Distance Events On Day One Of 2026 Credit Union 1 MW Indoor Track & Field Championships

Published

9 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Mountain West Indoor Track & Field Championship Central | Live Results

RENO, Nev. – The 2026 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Indoor Track & Field Championships opened competition Thursday with six events at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

New Mexico raced out to day one leads on both team leaderboards thanks to dominant efforts in Thursday’s distance events. Both Pamela Kosgei and Habtom Samuel won repeat 5,000-Meter gold and broke their respective Mountain West Championships records.

Kosgei’s time of 15:32.15 led a top-four sweep in the event as she was followed in order by Mercy Kirarei, Christina Nisoli, and Nicola Jansen. The performance paced the Lobo women to 41 points on the night, leading Fresno State (19 points) and GCU (18) early on.

On the men’s side, Habtom Samuel captured the 5,000 Meters in 13:30.40, breaking his own meet record for the second year in a row, for a 14-second victory over Wyoming’s Jacob White. Lobo teammate Evans Kiplagat took third, pacing the New Mexico to 29 points for an early lead over Air Force (13 points) and Utah State (12).

New Mexico also swept both Distance Medley Relays. First up, the Lobo women cruised to gold in 11:02.09, 22 seconds better than runner-up Boise State. The New Mexico men’s DMR held off Utah State and Colorado State at the end, the Lobos’ winning time of 9:39.63 besting the Aggies by 0.69 of a second and the Rams by just over two seconds.

The meet’s first champion was crowned in the women’s pentathlon as Fresno State’s Ella Spaulding took gold, using a second-place effort in the 800 Meters to clinch. Nevada’s Johanna Haas took an early lead with a win in the 60-Meter Hurdles and a fourth place in High Jump, holding on at the end to take silver.

Wrapping up the medals for the night, conference newcomer GCU captured its first Mountain West podium finishes in Pole Vault as Eva Lowder (4.29 meters) and Tatum Moku (4.09 meters) went 1-2.

The men’s Heptathlon will wrap Friday with the 60-Meter Hurdles and Pole Vault. Through four events, Colorado State’s Mateo Munoz, with 3,199 points, holds a 49-point lead over Boise State’s Landon Helms.

The preliminaries for the 200 meters also took place Thursday. Nevada’s Annalies Kalma paced the field with a time of 23.37 to qualify for Friday’s final, while on the men’s side Air Force’s Jett Rose ran a 20.82 to top the eight qualifiers.

Day Two’s competition gets underway at 10 a.m. MT with the men’s heptathlon 60-meter hurdles.

The Mountain West Network will provide live coverage of the 2026 MW Indoor Track & Field Championships. Fans can watch the indoor track & field championships on their phones or connected TVs via the Mountain West app.

Watch every moment of the MW Indoor Track & Field Championships LIVE on your own TV through Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV or Roku. Mobile applications are available through the iOS App Store and Google Play. Visit TheMW.com/app for more information.

For more information regarding the Mountain West Indoor Track & Field Championships, including live results, visit the championship central page or follow the Mountain West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

2026 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Indoor Track & Field Champions – Day One

Women

Pentathlon: Ella Spaulding, Fresno State – 4,022 points

5,000-Meters: Pamela Kosgei, New Mexico – 15:32.15

Pole Vault: Eva Lowder, GCU – 4.29 Meters

Distance Medley Relay: New Mexico – 11:02.09

Men

5,000 Meters: Habtom Samuel, New Mexico; 13:30.40

Distance Medley Relay: New Mexico; 9:39.63

2026 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Indoor Track & Field Team Leaderboards – Day One

Women

1. New Mexico – 41

2. Fresno State – 18

3. Grand Canyon – 17

4. Nevada – 16

T5. Air Force – 1 4

T5. Boise State – 14

7. Utah State – 13.5

8. San Diego State – 11.5

9. Wyoming – 7

10. Colorado State – 4

11. San José State – 0

12. UNLV – 0

Men

1. New Mexico – 29

2. Air Force – 13

3. Utah State – 12

4. Wyoming – 12

5. Colorado State – 6

6. Boise State – 3

7. San José State – 2

8. Grand Canyon – 1

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New Mexico

NMSP release details on capture of Fort Sumner shooting suspects

Published

21 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

NMSP release details on capture of Fort Sumner shooting suspects

DE BACA COUNTY, N.M. (KFDA) – New Mexico State Police have released new details on the capture of both Fort Sumner shooting suspects.

On Feb. 23, NMSP Investigations Bureau agents were requested to investigate an officer-involved shooting involving a NMSP Sergeant on US Highway 285, south of Vaughn in Guadalupe County, New Mexico.

Agents learned that the NMSP Sergeant conducted a traffic stop on a black Kia Sportage on US Highway 285, near mile marker 185, after learning the car was reportedly stolen.

Officials say during the stop, the female driver identified as 26-year-old Makaela Johnson, exited the car. As the Sergeant was placing Johnson in handcuffs, the male passenger, identified as 40-year-old Jovan Martinez, exited the stolen car with a rifle and fired at the Sergeant.

Police say Johnson ran back to the stolen car while still handcuffed and entered the passenger seat as the Sergeant took cover behind his police unit and returned fire with his duty weapon.

Martinez and Johnson fled from the scene and officers lost sight of the car.

While responding to the incident, NMSP officers encountered a couple near mile marker 166, who reported that their car had just been stolen at gunpoint.

The couple stated that Martinez and Johnson were standing in the roadway and Martinez fired a least one shot at the ground, forcing the couple to stop.

According to officials, the couple was ordered out of their car, which was a grey Kia K5 passenger vehicle.

Martinez and Johnson then took the second Kia and continued fleeing.

Officials say the original stolen Kia Sportage involved in the traffic stop was later located near the intersection of US Highway 285 and New Mexico State Highway 247.

The car left the roadway and drove through two barbed wire fences before coming to a rest in an open field.

According to police, the second stolen Kia K5 was found abandoned east of the intersection of River Road and Lone Wolf Road, south of Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

On Feb. 25, following a two-day manhunt, Martinez and Johnson were located hiding in a shed and taken into custody outside of Fort Sumner.

They were booked without incident on the following charges:

jovan Martinez:

Attempt to commit a felony, to WIT: first degree murder(willful or deliberate)
Aggravated assault upon a Peace Officer (deadly weapon)
Receipt, transportation or possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon
Conspiracy to commit receiving or transferring stolen motor vehicles
Armed robbery
Harboring a felon
Aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer (no injury or great bodily harm)

Makaela Johnson:

Conspiracy to commit first degree murder (willful or deliberate)
Conspiracy to commit aggravated assault upon a Peace Officer (deadly weapon)
Conspiracy to commit armed robbery
Harboring a felon
Receiving or transferring stolen motor vehicles
Escape or attempt to escape from Peace Officer
Larceny ($250 or less)

Officials say no officers were injured during this incident.

This incident remains under investigation by the New Mexico State Investigations Bureau.

The identity of the NMSP Sergeant will not be released until interviews are completed. The Sergeant has been placed on standard administrative leave.

New Mexico State Police act solely as factfinders in their investigation and conduct an unbiased and impartial investigation. In officer involved shootings, NMSP thoroughly documents the scene, collects evidence, and interviews officers, subjects, and witnesses.

The New Mexico State Police does not determine whether an officer’s actions were justified, this determination rests solely with the district attorney’s office.

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New Mexico

Smug New Mexico State Police Killer Gets Death Penalty Case in South Carolina – ABQ RAW

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Smug New Mexico State Police Killer Gets Death Penalty Case in South Carolina – ABQ RAW

Albuquerque, NM and Florence, SC –

Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina announced that it filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Jaremy Alexander Smith, 35, of Marion, South Carolina, for the 2024 kidnapping, carjacking, and murder of a Marion County EMS Paramedic. A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment on Feb. 24 charging Smith with kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death, using a firearm during a crime of violence in a manner constituting murder, possession of stolen firearms, and being a felon in possession of firearms.