THE
Daily
MISSISSIPPIAN theDMonline.com
Thursday, February 29, 2024
FAFSA changes cause uncertainty among prospective students BRYNN BATES ASHLYNN PAYNE
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There are several factors that influence where students choose to continue their higher education. However, one factor tends to rise above the rest: money. Many students rely on loans, scholarships and other forms of financial aid to fund their college educations, but delays in the release of the updated Free Application for Federal Student Aid have left people unsure of where they stand. The FAFSA Simplification Act, passed in 2020 and updated in 2022, revamped several aspects of the FAFSA and outlined a, “significant overhaul of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid starting with the 2024-25 award year.” While the FAFSA usually rolls out on Oct. 1, this year’s updated application was not released until Dec. 31, 2023, with a submission deadline of June 30. Many students have encountered tech-
nological difficulties, with some still having trouble accessing the application. “Students and families have encountered hours-long wait times and glitchy forms after the federal government unveiled a ‘streamlined’ process at the end of last year,” according to reporting from Mississippi Today. In addition to changes to how financial aid eligibility is calculated — like replacing Expected Family Contribution with a Student Aid Index — families also encountered additional questions on sex, race and ethnicity, while questions on Selective Service registration and drug convictions were removed. For Mississippi residents seeking state aid, there are additional FAFSA filing deadlines. The Higher Ed Legislation Plan Grant deadline is April 30. For students who wish to apply for the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant and the Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant, the deadline is Oct. 15. Although the changes to the application were meant to make filing for need-based aid more ac-
SEE FAFSA PAGE 2
Volume 112, No. 20
UM students among 47 implicated in Lafayette County Metro Narcotics sweep VIOLET JIRA
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The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit, a multi-jurisdictional drug-related task force, issued 47 arrest warrants between Wednesday, Feb. 21, and Friday, Feb. 23. The warrants were issued for drug violations and other felony crimes. At least three University of Mississippi students were among the 47. Additionally, 22 individuals have outstanding warrants in connection to last week’s sweep. During the arrests, officers seized $23,000, five guns, 2 ounces of cocaine, 613 grams of marijuana, 17 THC cartridges, 14 bottles of Prometh-
ILLUSTRATION: KATHERINE BUTLER
SEE SWEEP PAGE 2
Black Alumni Reunion returns to connect students past and present “It is a wonderful weekend to come back and reconnect. That joint endeavor of coming to the university as African American students binds us all together.”
KHARLEY REDMON
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T
he biennial Black Alumni Reunion is making its return today, Thursday, Feb. 29, boasting a weekend full of events and opportunities for alumni and current students to connect. Alexandria White, president of the Black Alumni Chapter Board and an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education, said that close to 400 people have registered for the event with graduation years as far back as 1972. “We are excited to see Black alums come back to network, to reminisce and to enjoy how the university has grown over the past two years,” White said. White said that the Black Alumni Reunion holds a special importance in building and maintaining the Black - Erica Avent community at the UniMember of the Black Alumni Chapter Board versity of Mississippi. “I think it’s import-
ant for this reunion to show undergrads that there is a community, even after you graduate,” White said. “You do receive your degree, but your relationship to the university continues.” Erica Avent, a member of the Black Alumni Chapter Board and assistant professor at the University of Mississippi, reiterated the event’s focus on connecting past and present students. “We have curated a weekend that is catered to Black alumni interacting with each other, current students (and) faculty departments. It is really a return to the university for them,” Avent said. White and Avent highlighted Career Coachella, taking place on Saturday, where students can chat with alumni in their respective fields while enjoying refreshments and appetizers. White and Avent said that the reunion also gives the university a chance to honor
SEE REUNION PAGE 5
ANNUAL CONCERT CAPS BLACK HISTORY MONTH To wrap up Black History Month, the University of Mississippi held a musical concert on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts SEE PAGE 5
STUDENTS CELEBRATE COILS Black UM students revel in their shared experiences of their natural hair journeys and their distinct paths to self-love and acceptance. SEE PAGE 6