U.S. Dept. of Education – Staff Writer
“The President’s blueprint unveiled last September aims to make it easier to get federal student aid by streamlining the process of submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®)….Filling out the FAFSA—at no cost—opens the door for students to receive potentially thousands of dollars in federal aid. Yet each year, about two million Pell-eligible students do not fill out the FAFSA—and millions more may have enrolled in college had they known that aid were available. To further streamline and simplify the FAFSA, the President announced a plan that will allow students and families to apply for financial aid earlier—starting in October, as the college application process gets underway—rather than in January…Learning about financial aid eligibility earlier in the college application and decision process will enable students and families to determine the true cost of attending college—taking available financial aid into account—and make more informed decisions as they are searching for, applying to, and choosing colleges.”(more)