The Seattle Times – Katherine Long
“One of the biggest obstacles for parents with college-going children is filling out the FAFSA, the federal government’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The form asks more than a hundred detailed questions about a family’s income in order to measure whether a student should be eligible for aid. But it’s so complicated that it’s seen by many educators as a barrier for low-income and first-generation students who want to go to college. U.S. Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell, in Seattle last week to promote the Obama administration’s proposal to make community college tuition-free, described the FAFSA as “a running joke, and I enjoy participating.” Mitchell is the top federal official overseeing higher education for the U.S. Department of Education.”(more)