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*January 12, 2024*






Presidential Primary

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that your 2024 is off to a great start! 

It's hard to believe that we are already entering another election year, with caucuses and primaries right around the corner. I strongly encourage everyone to get involved this year. *Early voting for the presidential primary starts next week, January 19*. You can learn more about early voting and the primary here  [ [link removed] ]and you can request your absentee ballot here [ [link removed] ].







New FAFSA Form Missing Inflation Calculation

The college application and financial aid process is perhaps one of the most stressful periods for young people and their parents. It was troubling to learn in an NPR story [ [link removed] ]_ _this week that delays and mistakes with the rollout of the new FAFSA form are forcing college hopefuls to wait longer than normal for their financial aid offers.

Students and families have been forced to delay their financial aid applications for the 2024-2025 school year because the new FAFSA form was not ready until December 30, 2023. This is three months later than the previous October 1 application opening date. Over 1 million forms have been successfully submitted through the redesigned system, but it is incredibly frustrating that this process started significantly later than normal.

Perhaps most concerning for families and their budgets, is the fact that the new form has not been adjusted for inflation. The FAFSA Simplification Act was a bipartisan effort to simplify the college financial aid application process and update the formula for determining eligibility to include, among other factors, inflation. *Because the Department has not made this adjustment as required by law, students and families will now receive less financial aid than they are eligible for.*

Americans are paying higher prices every day for gas, groceries, energy bills, and other necessities. Family budgets need financial aid now, perhaps more than ever, to help their students pay for college amidst this economic uncertainty.

I will be sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Cardona to ask him to prioritize getting this error fixed so families can get the full amount of aid they should qualify for. 






Photos

Robbins with Youth in Government Students

It was so fun to see the YMCA's Youth in Government in action at the Capitol and see students and families from my district! The students are working hard, having fun and learning the mechanics of making government work!

Robbins giving blood

Starting the new year donating blood through the American Red Cross at the Maple Grove Hy-Vee! Thanks to both for all you do in our communities! Check out the Red Cross FB or website to make an appointment sometime soon!






Please Contact Me

Many of you have already been in touch to discuss your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Please continue to contact me to discuss any matters to which I can be of assistance.

The best way to reach me while we are out of session is by email: [email protected]. For occasional updates, you can follow my Facebook Page at @RepKristinRobbins. You can also leave a voicemail on my office number, 651-296-7806, which is checked multiple times/week.

Have a great weekend!

 

Kristin











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239 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.7806







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