Lunchtime LEVinars
Welcome to Lunchtime LEVinars, free, interactive, online webinars on important and timely issues hosted by the League of Education Voters (LEV). These lunchtime webinars are designed to share information and build knowledge about the issues at the core of LEV’s policy priorities.
LEV will host each 30 to 60-minute webinar, which will include a 20–30 minute presentation by an expert from the field and 10 minutes of Q&A. Each webinar will be recorded and archived on our website.
Most Recent LEVinar
How Our Institutions Are Accommodating and Navigating the Delay in Higher Education Financial Aid for 2024
Many higher education schools rely on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, to help them determine how much of their institutional money to give out in the form of grants that students will not have to repay. Unfortunately, the troubled federal rollout of the new FAFSA form — and the revision of the formula for determining who gets federal financial aid — means that any attempt to offer a price quote to current or recently admitted students may be just a rough estimate.
In this webinar, we discuss steps that Washington state institutions are taking to help students cope with the financial aid delays and how students and families can navigate the current situation.
Panelists:
- Sam Alvarado (he/they/she), a junior at Moses Lake High School in the Moses Lake School District and a member of the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL)
- Athaliah Ioane (she/her), a sophomore at Whitworth University double majoring in Political Science and Communications – Journalism and a member of the Washington Student Engagement Networks
- Rebecca Tibbetts (she/her), a graduate of Walla Walla Community College with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management who is now working on a Master of Arts in Higher Education Student Affairs at Grand Canyon University, the Columbia Regional Coordinator for the Washington Student Engagement Networks, and the Food Pantry Coordinator at Walla Walla Community College
- Ruben Flores, Executive Director at the Council of Presidents
- Dr. Terri Standish-Kuon, President & CEO at Independent Colleges of Washington
- Becky Thompson, Director of Student Financial Assistance at the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)
- Dr. Joyce D. Hammer, Deputy Executive Director for Education at the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
Watch Now (Captioning is available in English, Spanish, and Somali)
Resources:
- Link to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out
- More FAFSA resources: www.WAgrant.org/fafsa (English), www.WAgrant.org/fafsa-es (Spanish)
- 2024-25 FAFSA updates from the Washington Student Achievement Council: https://wsac.wa.gov/2024-25-FAFSA-Updates
- Information on the WASFA: https://wsac.wa.gov/wasfa
- Washington College Grant – ESPAÑOL: https://wsac.wa.gov/wcg-es
- Financial Aid Information & Filing Events: https://wsac.wa.gov/financial-aid-events
- More information on Aim Higher including digital resources, outreach and event info: https://wsac.wa.gov/aim-higher
- OtterBot for students and Parents/ guardians: https://wsac.wa.gov/otterbot
- If all the different resources from WSAC seem a bit overwhelming, which we know can be sometimes, the one link that you should save is this, which can then take you to all other resources: https://wsac.wa.gov/fa-toolkit
- Washington’s Public Four-Year College and Universities Extend College Decision Day: https://councilofpresidents.org/2024/02/23/washingtons-public-four-year-college-and-universities-extend-college-decision-day
- Washington community and technical colleges contact list: https://www.sbctc.edu/our-colleges/college-contact-list
- Contact information for financial aid offices at Gonzaga University, Heritage University, Pacific Lutheran University, Saint Martin’s University, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle University, University of Puget Sound, Whitman College, and Whitworth University: https://icwashington.org/page/financialaid
- For the latest from Independent Colleges of Washington’s (ICW) member campuses regarding acceptance deadlines and how we are working to support prospective and returning students: https://icwashington.org/page/FAFSA2024
- Here’s the latest from ICW’s member campuses regarding acceptance deadlines and how we are working to support prospective and returning students:
- Awarding financial aid packages to admitted students based on information other than the FAFSA: Whitman College
- Extending to June 1 the deadline for admitted students to make a commitment to enroll: Gonzaga University, Pacific Lutheran University, Saint Martin’s University, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle University, University of Puget Sound, and Whitworth University
- Accepting enrollment decisions on a rolling basis until the later summer: Heritage University
Upcoming LEVinar
Do Smartphones Belong in K-12 Classrooms?
Smartphone bans in K-12 schools are part of a growing trend. The U.S. Surgeon General has issued an advisory sounding the alarm about social media and youth mental health. And UNESCO — the United Nations education, science and culture agency — has recently come out urging a ban on cell phones in schools globally.
In this free webinar, we will explore the impact of smartphones on student mental health, learn from a school district in Washington state that has enacted a smartphone ban, and answer your questions.
Panelists:
- Brooke Brown, the 2021 Washington state Teacher of the Year, member of the Washington State Board of Education, and an Instructional Equity Specialist at the Franklin Pierce School District
- Kelsey Parke, Principal at Kopachuck Middle School in the Peninsula School District
- Kris Hagel, Executive Director of Learning and Innovation at the Peninsula School District
Live Spanish interpretation and closed captioning in English will be provided.
Moderated by League of Education Voters CEO Arik Korman.
Thursday, May 2, 2024
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Register Now
Previous LEVinars
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