By Scott Hurley&Tony Langfellow
GREEN BAY (WLUK) — If your high school senior is looking to pursue higher education, now is the time to fill out those FAFSA applications.
While applications for the 2025-2026 academic year aren’t due until June, Wisconsin education leaders are urging students to get it done now.
Universities of Wisconsin and Green Bay and De Pere school district leaders held a news conference Monday afternoon to discuss the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
October is the month high school seniors can begin filling out their FAFSA applications. This helps determine if students qualify for federal financial aid.
“You don’t know how much money you can get unless you fill out that FAFSA form. It’s really important to take the time to do that. It unlocks so many doors, just by taking the time to fill out the form,” UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander said.
Area education leaders gathered Monday to explain the importance of getting the FAFSA done now. GBAPS officials said everyone should do it, regardless of economic status.
“Once you have that dollar amount, you can make that informed decision about whether or not it is still a financial option for you and your family,” Southwest High School Principal Michael Whisler said.
Whisler said the district is raising the bar to get that message out by hosting various events in the fall and winter.
Monday marked day six of the government shutdown. Despite this, the FAFSA process will continue without disruption.
The Universities of Wisconsin said this is key to producing more graduates to help the state’s economy.
“The great employers of our state are creating more jobs than we are filling right now. And that’s not a good thing for Wisconsin, because if those jobs are not filled in this state, they will go elsewhere,” Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said.
Just last year, the Universities of Wisconsin said students received $1.5 million in aid.
Rothman said there was a 3% increase in freshmen this year. He attributes that to “Direct Admit Wisconsin” — a program offering automatic admission to qualifying students into UW schools.
“The rhetoric is that college is too expensive. We are the best value of any public university system in the Midwest and beyond,” Rothman said.
The federal deadline for FAFSA applications is June 30, but students are encouraged to fill it out sooner since specific college deadlines may vary.
Source: Now’s the time to apply for financial aid, school and college leaders say