College financial aid still available despite threatened pause in federal grants
By DEBORAH MARTINEZ MARTINEZ
Trump’s rescinded pause on federal grants and loans would not have effected college grants and loans, according to PCC’s financial aid office. The White House budget office rescinded the order freezing federal grants on Jan. 29, 2025.
“Title IV Pell Grants and student loans for spring 2025 will NOT be effected,” said Eva Rodriguez, PCC’s Financial Aid office. “Funds will be disbursed as scheduled on Feb. 10, the day after the term’s drop date,” she said. “State grants will not be affected, either.”
For Summer, Fall 2026 and Spring 2026, applications should be done online as soon as possible using a downloaded 2023 tax form, according to to Education Opportunity Center’s Theresa Vega. She will be on hand at the Rawlings Library in Pueblo on Saturdays from 1 pm to 4 pm to assist with applications by calling 719-549-2563 for an appointment.
TRIO programs, including Upward Bound, will host FAFSA completion workshops. EOC will do work in Fort Carson and at Pikes Peak State College in Colorado Springs.
“Get your Financial Student Aid ID number first; then be careful to choose the FAFSA application for the correct year because both are online right now. Very important to choose the 2025-26 year,” Vega said.
State and local scholarships are often tied to the federal student aid application,” said Janelle Quick, director of the Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation. PHEF hosts 20 other scholarships including graduate school, career and tech areas, trades and health care fields such as phlebotomist (not on-line programs).
Several family-funded scholarship programs that are hosted by PHEF, said Quick, are the Anita and Pres Cordova (Avondale), Isaiah Vialpando, Roger P. Madrid, Miguel Flores and the Crescencio Mercado Memorial scholarships.
Students should apply for admission before doing the FAFSA, but don’t wait to begin preparing to apply for financial aid, said Vega. Students can send their application to several college offices in the FAFSA application. Because the 2023 IRS information will be used, there is no reason to wait, Vega said.
