The Obama administration has made it clear that college affordability for the less fortunate is a high priority on the presidential to-do list. One of the major stumbling blocks in getting economically challenged students into college has been complete and utter frustration when it came to applying for federal funds through the FAFSA (Free Education for Federal Student Aid) application. Rather than make their way through the complicated form, many families would simply throw up their hands and walk away.
As Education Secretary Arne Duncan once said as he spoke off the cuff to a small group of reporters, “This damn form was killing us.” He was referring to his time as superintendent of Chicago’s public school system and the role the FAFSA form played in preventing students from low-income families from applying to college.
In order to combat this problem, the DOE intends to gradually introduce changes to address this and other problems recognized with the current application process:
• No longer requiring students with low incomes to answer questions about their parents’ financial assets.
• Questions concerning drug convictions will only be asked to returning students since it does not apply to first-year students.
• Potentially allocate Pell Grants based on the aid applicant’s adjusted gross income (AGI) vs. the current needs analysis formula, which takes into consideration the income and assets of both the parent and the student.
• Provide incentives to institutions that admit a larger ratio of students from low income families by increasing their access to federal money.
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