FAFSA requirement vetoed

Gov. Pete Ricketts vetoed a bill Aug. 17 that required Nebraska students to submit a federal college financial aid application before they graduate from high school.

Introduced by Omaha Sen. Tony Vargas, LB1089 required each public high school student to complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid before graduating, beginning with the 2021-22 school year.

A student’s parent or legal guardian, or the person standing in loco parentis to the student, could have submitted a signed form indicating that they authorize the student to decline to complete and submit a FAFSA. A student who is 19 or older or is an emancipated minor could have signed and submitted the waiver.

A principal or the principal’s designee also could have authorized a student to decline for good cause.

The bill passed Aug. 13 on a vote of 29-12.

In his veto message, Ricketts said state requirements related to high school graduation should be limited to content and rigor and that LB1089 is “an unfunded and burdensome mandate on students and families.”