[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6663569,"mediaKeyId","2390001-1752324a96d66352d2e6bed149a427b2","parentId",2390001,"title","Students’ FAFSA completion debated as Maryland lawmakers weigh mandate to boost college aid access","audioSeconds",3626,"startMs",6254000,"endMs",9880000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2390001-1752324a96d66352d2e6bed149a427b2&start=6254&end=9880","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2390001-1752324a96d66352d2e6bed149a427b2/thumbnail_6254000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6663569/Maryland/Students-FAFSA-completion-debated-as-Maryland-lawmakers-weigh-mandate-to-boost-college-aid-access","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6663569-e4e3a612d42dfcae0fead43149ec9d4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196908&Signature=KDhX69ljAWWdGfpNQg6qgaVlrtkF5yvg0r-5iqJt5NqLh9nGs5kwmHiWViXKmVc4PWb-YhNLUFbSS2dsBvAIPAmm-7yccosVHcMkWSs~J68vIEMjZv6EHzWr7wB5RHLku0UsiJr75s079ivC2VU-SJlxEi5q2umy~F7VGbs-hBdAkXUZXjdvfWuV1Krryi~NrxdKNqclyF5WA0vI76IWEYUBEL5L03Y-8Wl9a1VOwMhn38Mpl4-eyzXJUas4MBFAl52vEOlG391s0OnUi5PuHcsQQhL805qElo8tmoU-mY9LkY~M7kh-8AjS6gG9H8wPRTUNz7agterZ-0mfXT6cqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland General Assembly - Ways and Means","date","2025-02-25T23:17:58.29Z","article","A House bill that would require Maryland public school seniors to apply for federal student aid (or record a documented opt‑out) drew strong backing Tuesday from education groups, college access nonprofits and state higher‑education officials.

Supporters said the measure, modeled on policies already adopted in about a dozen states, would identify students eligible for Pell Grants and state aid who otherwise leave significant federal funding unused. “Nationally, the high‑school class of 2023 left over $4 billion in Pell Grant money unclaimed simply because students did not submit the FAFSA,” Maryland Higher Education Commission Secretary Sanjay Rai told the committee, urging a favorable report.

Students and local counselors described tangible gains when schools made FAFSA completion part of senior‑year routines. Carlos Nada, college‑career coordinator at Seneca Valley High School in Montgomery County, said targeted classroom sessions and account setup produced a year‑over‑year completion increase at his school at a time when statewide completion fell.

Advocates stressed safeguards for students whose families are reluctant to share tax data: the federal FAFSA includes an IRS data retrieval tool that pulls information securely from tax records, and the bill allows a written opt‑out by students who decide not to apply. “A student can literally just sign something: you told me about this. I understand the options. I’m choosing not to do it,” sponsor Delegate Jared Solomon said.

Opponents and some committee members, however, raised practical and privacy questions. Counselors and school representatives told lawmakers that implementation requires staff time and careful local planning about who will manage forms, waivers and family conversations. Delegate Vanessa Atterberry and others said the Maryland State Department of Education and MHEC should produce guidance and best practices for districts.

Representatives of college‑access nonprofits and community organizations asked for a role in crafting toolkit and regulations. First Generation College Bound and the Maryland Alliance for College Affordability and Equity said the bill would be most effective with clear rules about staffing, consent and support for English‑language‑learner and undocumented families.

The committee did not take a final vote; supporters said they would work with MSDE and MHEC to refine implementation details and the timing of any mandate.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","W&M Committee Session, 2/25/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","Maryland lawmakers heard testimony supporting a bill that would require public high‑school seniors to submit the FAFSA or sign an opt‑out, in an effort to increase access to Pell Grants and state financial aid.","taxTitle","Ways and Means Committee, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15064,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6663574,"Maryland lawmakers debate expanding schools’ reportable‑offense notifications after Harford County murder case",921,1489000,2410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2390001-1752324a96d66352d2e6bed149a427b2&start=1489&end=2410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2390001-1752324a96d66352d2e6bed149a427b2/thumbnail_1489000.jpg","/articles/6663574/Maryland/Maryland-lawmakers-debate-expanding-schools-reportableoffense-notifications-after-Harford-County-murder-case","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6663574-1d23578caeac6e8404527ade52a3d18c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196908&Signature=D9Y1WfMqVSGkilG5Kq4TOm7c1t7N1~qhrajInM3dXk249X80Qxa9csdftYtsbVdzx5WeWcIoK2ke55EayGGe0UchDWQvGkTijBwYSx-B5T2m2VDccI27rs1b3vOnp~mMncHSNZoLAqL11s5C9tjz2KqZI4SnU2SVwoY62Je5ROE1bgCjP2KZLzkUQw2q93Tr0EKCg~M3Ob1Kb~agajuJd-Z-TV6G9~OU7cj~qw7evGaM~wrkJAGQHnOdq-Hl3XEQx3FBPsCJHJgXAZGdcli6tF4qPWU1MDILITUDuCb1EqSD5Kg-XZ4FUerlp~4YCbLvExJ~ItKpODSFf2s9Mg84DA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A House committee on Tuesday debated a set of bills that would change how and when school systems are notified about juvenile involvement in serious crimes, prompted by the 2022 murder of Kayla Hamilton in Harford County.

Supporters — including Harford County States Attorney Allison Healy and Harford County Superintendent Sean Bolsom — urged lawmakers to give prosecutors discretion to notify school superintendents when a juvenile is a suspect in a murder or other violent felony. “It allows state's attorneys to use discretion as to the reporting of these matters and to reserve it for cases where there is a true potential danger to students and the school system,” Healy told the committee.

Proponents said the narrow proposal would address gaps that left school leaders unaware of threats. “None of the agencies that the student encountered . . . had any obligation or more importantly, any authority to share these really unusual circumstances with us,” Harford County Superintendent Sean Bolsom testified, describing a suspect who enrolled in a county high school while under investigation.

Family members of victims likewise urged action. Tammy Nobles, mother of Kayla Hamilton, described how a suspect was allowed into schools while investigation delays persisted: “If the state's attorney or the police station would have been able to share the level of threat . . . then they could have done something to make sure he wasn't around other vulnerable populations such as students,” Nobles said.

Opponents pressed legal and equity concerns. Abby Flanagan of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender and Levi Bradford of the Public Justice Center argued that allowing notification when a juvenile is only a suspect risks violating due process and could expose students to school discipline before charges or adjudication. “Altering a student's right to education based solely on police suspicion is an overreach of the government's authority,” Flanagan said. Bradford added that expanding reportable offenses will likely exacerbate racial disparities already present in school disciplinary and arrest data.

Witnesses also disagreed over whether to expand the list of reportable offenses. Supporters pointed to specific gaps (for example, newer technology‑enabled crimes) and asked for narrowly tailored additions; critics argued the current law already covers many offenses and that the statute is applied unevenly across jurisdictions.

Committee members identified two recurring policy tradeoffs: protecting students and staff by sharing timely information about serious threats, versus protecting juveniles’ procedural rights and preventing school exclusion based on suspicion alone. Several members urged more study or a narrower, carefully circumscribed approach. The hearing produced no committee vote; sponsors said they were open to amendments and workgroup discussions.

The bills discussed included language authorizing a state's attorney to notify a superintendent or the superintendent's designee when a juvenile is a suspect in first‑ or second‑degree murder or a violent felony, and separate measures to update the list of reportable offenses and close gaps in how schools are notified when juvenile cases are handled informally by the Department of Juvenile Services.","A House committee on Tuesday debated proposals that would let prosecutors notify school superintendents earlier when juveniles are suspects in the most serious crimes, after a high‑profile murder case in Harford County exposed notification gaps.","actionData","errors"]

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Students’ FAFSA completion debated as Maryland lawmakers weigh mandate to boost college aid access

Maryland lawmakers debate expanding schools’ reportable‑offense notifications after Harford County murder case