A panel of education experts/researchers got together and decided that the current federal college aid system needed some serious overhauling. Their first suggestion? Doing away with FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and getting all the required information from the Internal Revenue Service instead. Their main goal is helping needy students get through college. In their other suggestions (such as basing eligibility for Pell Grants on adjusted gross income and family size and rethinking loan payment plans and loan interest rates) they stress the importance of making college more affordable.
To me the most interesting proposal was the federal government establishing college savings accounts for low-income children. They are worried that because college isn’t pushed in low-income families that students will be discouraged to go to college based on the cost. The plan proposed that the program begins at 12 and the government deposits money each year (earning interest) until they turned 18 and the money could only be used for college expenses.
I honestly believe that the federal financial aid system needs some serious rethinking. I have witnessed too many times students in need not getting adequate aid to continue their college education. This is something that is obviously important to each one of us (and possibly in the future our children). I hope that this report will get enough support to be adopted…or if not this particular one something similar comes along. Education has become so important and I don’t understand why helping students get there isn’t getting the attention it’s deserved.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/education/19college.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin
Friday, September 19, 2008
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