Last Wednesday, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the simplification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by reducing 20% of the questions, mostly in redundancies. The Obama administration will also seek legislation to further winnow down the form to a simpler version. The streamlining of the FAFSA is a step in the right direction - it will incentivize disadvantaged students who had been intimidated by the red tape to apply for federal funding in the form of Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, Perkins Grants, and even work-study or state aid.
This is a significant stride towards equitable education, at a time when it is most needed. Scholarships, grants, and state aid are being cut back or eliminated in light of the economic downturn. The Davis United World College Scholars Program has cut its scholarship offering of $20,000 per winner in half, The Fulfillment Fund - offering scholarships to Los Angeles students - has cut its offerings in half over the past three years, and The New York Times Company has cut its offered scholarships to 12 from 20. Even state aid has been significantly effected - in Pennsylvania state grants have been reduced, and California is considering cutting its state scholarship program completely in formulating its budget.
The long-awaited simplification of the FAFSA is a watershed in the push for equitable access to education. However, the economic downturn, as well as other barriers - including the income-moderated SAT score gap - are apparent indicators that there is room for improvement. INeedAPencil seeks to offer SAT prep for free such that educational opportunity is not determined by one's socioeconomic status.
Articles for reference:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/education/24fafsa.html?_r=1
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27/education/27scholarship.html?ref=us
Kevin Prior
INeedAPencil Summer Associate
Harvard College 2011
