Sign up for our free monthly newsletter Beyond High School to get the latest news about college and career paths for Colorados high school grads.Enrollment at nearly all of Colorados four-year universities is up, despite delays and glitches this year that made it harder for students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.Its an outcome that defies the widespread fear that the FAFSA snafus would lead to lower college enrollment, especially among students from low-income families.Instead, the all-hands-on-deck response that many high schools and universities took to helping students fill out the FAFSA in this troubled year seems to have paid off.We were not going to just leave our students hanging, said Federico Rangel, who works at Denvers West High School as a Denver Scholarship Foundation adviser. We were going to do what we needed to do to make sure students could access their goals and their potential.Only about 42% of high school seniors statewide completed the FAFSA this year, which is about 3,000 fewer students than last year. But most of Colorados 13 public universities, including the University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University Systems three schools, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and Colorado Mesa University, enrolled more students than last year.Enrollment is also up among students eligible for federal Pell grants, which provide free money for college for students from low-income families. Federal changes raised the Pell grant income limits which allowed more students to qualify.The federal government revamped the FAFSA form last year, which is now called the Better FAFSA.The form, typically released in October, was released months late on Dec. 31, shortening the completion window for students and families. Then, while the Better FAFSA proved to be shorter and easier, technical glitches marred the process.Issues have lingered, and a few first-year students are still trying to finish the FAFSA even now that they are enrolled in college, said Natasha Garfield, Denver Scholarship Foundation scholarships and financial aid director.Despite problems, schools posted strong enrollment numbers over last year.The Colorado School of Mines increased enrollment by 6% as well as boosted enrollment of Pell Grant students over last year by 23% from 859 students to 1,059. Both Colorado School of Mines and the University of Colorado Boulder have historically enrolled a lower share of students from lower-income backgrounds.CU Boulder increased undergraduate enrollment by 3.4% this year, as well as the number of Pell Grant recipients to 5,307 students, up from 4,846, a 9.5% increase.Enrollment and the student makeup at smaller regional schools varied. But most recorded increases.Western Colorado University was one of the few with declines. It enrolled about 30 fewer Pell eligible students, or a 6.5% decrease. Enrollment also dropped from 3,761 to 3,453 students.Meanwhile, Metropolitan State University of Denver increased enrollment by 2%, as well as increased Pell enrollment. Kerline Eglaus, executive director of financial aid and scholarships, said the number of students eligible for a grant increased by 989 students, to 38.5% of all students. Thats an 18.5% increase over last year, she said.MSU Denver and every university across the state put more resources into helping students get to college as they struggled to fill out the FAFSA, she said. The school also helped students who were already enrolled fill out the new FAFSA.Throughout the year, schools worked together so as many students as possible had the resources they needed to figure out the Better FAFSA, she said. She said its fair to say that support from schools and advisors helped incoming and current students navigate a difficult year.Schools will continue those lessons to help even more students in the future.One of the things that we learned was just really trying to create a better student experience through increased outreach and communication, she said.Angie Paccione, Colorado Department of Higher Education executive director, said in some ways the enrollment increases defy explanation, especially after the FAFSA problems. Colorado isnt alone, and, nationwide, some states such as Texas and North Carolina have touted increased enrollmentHowever, Paccione said Colorado colleges and universities have stepped up and made students feel more welcome directly and indirectly.Colorado Mesa University, for instance, issued financial aid packages without FAFSA information to students, helping families make decisions early. That led to the schools largest ever freshman class. The Prime Effect, or the appointment of Deion Sanders as head coach of the University of Colorado Boulders football team, has translated to a 50% increase in Black student applications, Paccione said.Its the students who didnt make it to college or decided not to go that Paccione worries about. Statewide, FAFSA completion, which is an indicator of whether students will go to college, must increase, she said. Colorado ranks near the bottom in FAFSA completion and only about half of all Colorado high school students end up on a college campus.The states highest paying jobs require a college education, whether a certificate, two-year, or four-year degree.How do we get the other half to realize that college is affordable and is within reach and worth it? she said. We have to help them see that the jobs that are available for just the high school diploma really dont compare to jobs with even an associates or a bachelors.The difficulties students faced in the spring arent expected to linger into the next FAFSA cycle, although it is again slated to open late on or before Dec. 1.The U.S. Department of Education has been working on fixes, and advisers that support students are hopeful of a better experience.A later-than-expected FAFSA release still worries some. Rangel said hes concerned that Colorado once again wont be able to get students filling out the FAFSA until a couple months later than usual. He feels that after the issues he and others have learned a lot about how to keep students on track and the resilience of students.Were obviously going to remain hopeful, he said. I cant say enough how incredible the students that I work with are in just persevering through issues.Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at [email protected].