An Alabama nonprofit will play a critical role in shaping the future of federal student aid.

Alabama Possible is breaking new ground as one of the six organizations selected by the U.S. Department of Education to help fine-tune the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

The group's Executive Director Chandra Scott said the group will help remove obstacles, and work to make this year's application process easier for students in Alabama and across the South.

"Our timelines around FAFSA completion and graduation is so different from institutions in the North," said Scott. "So being able to get in on this a little early - to see where students are going to land on this, what still needs to be fixed - it's a great privilege."

The beta testing includes recruiting at least 100 students and families across the state to complete the FAFSA, as they would under normal circumstances.

Scott said Alabama Possible will help identify where students are likely to encounter issues and work with the Department of Education to resolve them before the December 1 launch.

Scott said this effort doesn't give an advantage to students who will complete the FAFSA during this testing, but ensures they face fewer roadblocks than they did with last year's application.

She said a common issue they will be looking out for is one that delayed the process for many students last year.

"There shouldn't be a need for both parents to need an FSA ID if they're filing taxes jointly," said Scott, "and that was a huge barrier for a lot of students - because they were only having one parent do it, and then it would put a great pause in the process."

The group will also work to ensure that students without social security numbers and those classified as independent don't encounter unnecessary hurdles.

Scott said she believes this testing will not only benefit students, but also equip school counselors and career coaches with essential tools to provide effective support.

This has been "National March Into Literacy Month" but it may become tougher over the summer to "march" into a public library and ask for help finding a good book.

An executive order signed this month by President Donald Trump requires staff and funding cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the agency funding libraries across the country.

One in five Maryland adults has low reading skills, according to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and 36% of fourth graders read below grade level.

Sandy Keaton, 2025 conference chair for the State of Maryland Literacy Association, said building reading skills can start in the home and parents play a large role in their kids' reading journey.

"The best way to promote literacy is for you to be a reader and for your children to see you being a reader," Keaton emphasized. "The second thing I would say would be to read with your child. You can have him or her read a page to you, then you can read a page. You can have him or her read the entire page."

Nationally, Maryland's literacy rate is in the middle of the pack among states, at 28th.

The library cutbacks come as the National Center for Education Statistics found national reading scores had their largest decline in more than 30 years. Those declines were worse for already low-performing students.

For adults, Keaton suggested starting with a book you like or that is about one of your interests, and go from there.

"If they wanted to continue to build on that knowledge, there are so many exhibitors and vendors that have books that not only will help younger children but will also help the adults," Keaton added.

Keaton recommended librarians as a great resource for all ages to get into reading. They are trained to help people pick books to match their reading level and interests.


get more stories like this via email

The U.S. House of Representatives last month passed a budget resolution that would reduce the federal deficit by $880 billion over the next decade. That's at the cost of Medicaid programs, and Montana K-12 students could feel the impacts. Roughly two in every five Montana kids have health insurance through Medicaid, according to a Montana Healthcare Foundation report. Others may be under the care of family members who use Medicaid benefits, such as grandparents or veterans.

Amanda Curtis, president of the Montana Federation of Public Employees, says kids "hurt" when their needs aren't met.

"Teachers, counselors, nurses in Montana are incredibly concerned for our students who rely on Medicaid services to be able to show up to school and learn every day," Curtis explained.

She added that school staff are vital to student health as they often recognize when a kid needs extra help, like through speech and language pathologists, nurses or psychologists. The federal move clashes with a Montana bill to drop the sunset date for Medicaid expansion, which went to the governor's desk earlier this month.

Curtis noted that bill received bipartisan support.

"Montanans from the entire political spectrum agree that this is a program that is important to Montanans, that is good for Montanans, not just on an individual level but also for our economy," she continued."

Medicaid is partially funded by federal dollars but administered by states, which would be left with tough decisions on who to cut from the program or how to make up the difference - by raising taxes, cutting other programs. Based on Montana's Medicaid spending, the proposed federal cuts are equivalent to coverage for 57,000 kids in the state, or nearly 70% of child enrollees, according to KFF.


get more stories like this via email

Amid a severe teacher and staff shortage, school support workers and their union allies rallied Tuesday in Harrisburg for a better living wage.

The group said House Bill 777 would raise wages for more than 41,000 school staff members. More than 100 people gathered on the Capitol steps and met with lawmakers to gauge their support for the bill.

Aaron Chapin, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said it would raise the pay for support staff in public schools to a living wage of at least $20 per hour.

"About 45% of our colleagues that are support professionals would benefit from raising the wage to $20 an hour," Chapin reported. "And unfortunately, so many of our educational support professionals, they're not able to make ends meet with the current salaries that they have. Many of them have a second job."

The House bill has 22 cosponsors, all Democrats. Chapin pointed out it would raise support staff wages by about $3 an hour. A survey by the association last fall found four of five Pennsylvania voters would support a $20 minimum wage for school support staff.

Marc Howshall, vice president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association's Education Support Professionals Division and a custodian for the Bangor Area School District, said better wages and working conditions are crucial. He supports the new push for higher pay and argued it is key to keeping workers in the profession.

"A living wage would coexist with $20 an hour, and it would impact more members," Howshall emphasized. "Through the surveys and talking to people, it came to fruition that's the case. It will help a lot more members to be able to survive, to be able to live a little more comfortable, instead of just at -- really, in some cases -- the edge of poverty."

Rudy Burruss, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association's Education Support Professionals Division and a paraprofessional for the State College Area School District, works with students with disabilities and said he has had to juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet. While most workers he has spoken with said they chose the field for the love of the kids, Burruss stressed a raise would help them breathe a little easier.

"We've been working, we've been doing the job. We haven't been paid what we should be, but we work because we love the kids, and what we're doing," Burruss explained. "This will help ease some of that financial burden. People are making choices between loving their profession and loving the work they do, and trying to make ends meet."