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CCD Students & Administrators Welcome U.S. Senator Bennet to Auraria

In an effort to promote a bipartisan bill that would reduce the time it takes to complete the FAFSA, Senator Michael Bennet has been making the rounds this past week to Colorado college campuses.

On Tuesday, August 26th, CCD students and administrators—along with school counselors and administrators from Metro State & UC Denver—were thrilled to welcome Senator Bennet to the Auraria Campus for a round-table discussion about the proposed bill.

Students nationwide would benefit from this bill. The current FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a 10-page application with 108 questions, making applying for financial aid a cumbersome process for many students and their families. This bill would reduce that application down to two simple questions: What is your family size? And, what was your household income two years ago? In addition, the bill would encourage more students to use Pell Grants and to discourage over-borrowing to pay for a college education.

CCCS President Dr. Nancy McCallin, CCD President Dr. Everette J. Freeman and Financial Aid Director Thad Spaulding were also in attendance, as well as two students, Drew Turley (pictured below with Senator Bennet), our Student Government Association president, and Erica Rodriquez. Both students have been working as student aides in CCD's financial aid and scholarships office and were extremely eloquent in their remarks to Senator and fellow members of the meeting.

Visit Senator Bennet's website to learn more about the goals and the hopeful outcomes for this bill.