FAFSA Madness!

A friend of mine at American University put up a few status posts on Facebook last week about filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). It was long, complicated, scary, and confusing. Some of the forms it asked for were incorrectly labeled and overall the entire system just seemed messy.

Some reports suggest that as many as 1.5 million students who are ELIGIBLE for Federal Aid don't even apply. Most would tell you that the application is just too large and confusing to bother with. Those involved in education, especially students, have been calling for FAFSA Reform for years. Some universities are even offering special workshops to explain the FAFSA to students.

The Obama Administration has made reform of the application a priority for their Education Department. The new application has eliminated SEVENTEEN web screens and TWENTY-TWO questions. If you've ever even glanced at the system, you know this is a huge step forward.

Another step I would like to see taken is removing questions about assets and finances which require information not found on a standard tax return! The United States Student Association says the House has already passed legislation aimed at doing just that.

Although not everyone agrees that the changes are good, I can tell you that the first time I looked at the FAFSA I was completely scared off. I'm glad the Administration and Congress understand that something needs to change.

ALSO if you'd like to donate to the Disaster Relief Effort in Haiti, you can text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross.