The uncertainty of the FAFSA system keeps many from college. Filling out the FAFSA is how potential college students prove their financial eligibility for aid that will help them cover tuition: Pell Grants, federal work-study, state-based financial aid and federal loans. The bureaucratic, confusing and often frustrating process adds to the anxiety many students and families feel in figuring out how to pay for college. Many people living in poverty and in need of financial support are already cognitively and emotionally taxed. We should want all college students to enjoy that freedom.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 28, 2024 09:36 UTC