“Last year, only 3 states in the nation actually increased their high school FAFSA completion rates year over year. Who took the top slot? Illinois!”
That’s what Gov. JB Pritzker proudly said on Twitter Thursday, and he issued a press release to the same effect. “Illinois filing was up by almost 4 percent — ranking first among only three states that actually increased their high school FAFSA completion rates year over year,” says the release.
It goes on to praise 400 high schools that got a “Recognition of Excellence banner” for Class of 2021 financial aid application completions. Illinois’ increase in applications is “an achievement that wouldn’t be possible without leaders in our school communities advocating for their students,” according to the press release.
What Pritzker didn’t mention is that completing the applications became mandatory last year for Illinois high school seniors. No completed application, no diploma.
Deceptions like this are easy because nobody in the press points them out. Instead they often just reword press releases to make a news story, as here.
Onto the list of Pritzker’s deceptions and whoppers this will go, which we are compiling and will publish.
-Mark Glennon
With $162 billion more from taxpayers, couldn’t you deliver a few bond upgrades, too
Audio and summary 
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
Can someone explain? Why is that a good thing? I’m being serious. What’s the benefit?
I assume the point is to make sure that students and parents are aware of what aid might be available and nudge them toward using it.
‘Aid’ usually means borrowing 75%+ of the cost of college using federal and private student loans. A few grand for a Pell Grant, maybe a bonus for having a certain color skin, maybe a work-study, but mostly student loans. That’s why minorities have such high student loan balances, they take out more more money, and culturally, there is less urgency to pay it back. Along these same lines, two years ago my intelligent high SAT scoring nephew turned down college, didn’t even apply to a four year college because he didn’t want to go heavily into debt. This is at… Read more »
Yep, all this does is encourages prospective students to go into a lifetime of debt. If I knew then what I know now, I would have worked my way through college rather than taking out financial aid so I could “focus on my studies”.
Taking out school loans or any loan for that matter is akin to becoming slave to the master. True freedom doesn’t happen while living in debt.
I worked part-time through college, it basically paid my day to day living expenses. One semester’s tuition cost more than I earned working part-time an entire year. I once had an old boss who claimed he paid his way through NW of all places driving a bus and a cab. But that was in the late 1960’s when a student could do that. These days? Impossible.
My family completed that form a generation ago….no assets to speak of, working class wages, paycheck to paycheck income, student has above average grades and test scores…but unfortunately, white…. The result? Every school except for one insisted my family could afford to pay something like $10k a year toward my college tuition… by requiring my working class parents to take out their own high interest student loans to pay for my college! Only one selective private school realized that a poor white kid should be given a chance and gave me enough aid so only I had to borrow against… Read more »
Add who, when, where, and how to your question, and the explanation will fill a book.
The system is focused on special interests and utopian ideas.
Thank goodness there are some rational caring people for those who do not fit into utopia.
You all can polish this any way you want,but the democrats WANT everyone poor and government dependent,this country is in the shitter thanks to the politicians,republicans too
It’s a waste of time. You’ll spend two hours on it only to be told you qualify for a loan that can’t be discharged in bankruptcy. Did one for my first child, didn’t bother for my second child. If you can do the waiver do it unless you fall into the low income bracket. Although if you’re a city worker you may want to do it. For some reason my city worker brother in law who makes more than me and has more assets was able to get aid for his kid.
Sure I’d have my kid fill out the form… Sex: twice a week; Name: Elon Musk; Occupation: Slip and fall expert; etc…
In the end its proven that student loans are a low-quality financial instrument, if not downright fraudulent. Designed to lock a student into a contract they will regret, by coercion. Where only the government and bankers receive anything of value and no guarantee given that the amorphous product being purchased will be of any use. Payday loans are more upfront and honest, and probably safer.
Yeah I think filling out financial need applications is great until they get personal. I’m pretty sure the government can get to my personal information if they really want it but I’m not giving it up willingly. I’ll start to fill it out and when they start asking questions that I think are none of their business and because I will not lie, I stop filling it out.
Public Act 101-0180 states: On a form created by the State Board of Education, file a waiver with the student’s school district indicating that the parent or guardian or, if applicable, the student understands what the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and application for State financial aid are and has chosen not to file an application So the state forces you to file a form one way or the other. Pick your poison. There is also a out of this “due to extenuating circumstances, as determined by the school district…” but I’m guessing it’s less work to blindly fill out… Read more »
One witness slip signed:
Proponent: Jaimee Ray, Illinois Board of Higher Education
YAY!!!-Thats really something to be proud of,huh,jelly belly!?-soak the taxpayers some more and get all the financial aid you can!-YAY!-Wouldnt it be better if not as many people needed financial aid?-hmmm,guess i dont look at things the same as the dumbo democrats
Although it is positioned as mandatory by the school, you can ask to opt out. We did.
What does the opt-out process entail?
Is there a bigger story as to why it is required to apply for Federal aid? Politicians want all IL students to funnel their way to college where the Marxist indoctrination will be completed?Don’t worry about the price we’ll eventually have the Central planners pay for it all.
Its even more insidious – the government wants to know the wealth, income, debts and liabilities of every parent with a graduating high school student in IL. Remember, it’s a Federal form so this can be used against parents later for more nefarious purposes.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith, your ten year old 2021 FAFSA application shows some assets in a bank account, and our IRS records show a transfer out of that account last year. Where did those funds go, Mr. Smith…
That’s EXACTLY right!
Typical Pritzker move: take credit where no credit is due.