![]() Students frequently report that issues with FAFSA completion and verification prevent them from enrolling in courses or lead them to be dropped from courses due to nonpayment. The delay in processing affects not only students’ receipt of federal grants, which primarily target the lowest-income applicants, but also applications for state and institutional aid-which often have higher income eligibility thresholds. The income verification process differs for each institution and can delay FAFSA filers from receiving award packages. A study of financial aid applicants in Iowa estimated that 57% of students eligible for Pell Grant funds had to verify their forms, while only 7% of non-Pell-eligible students did. Low-income applicants are selected for verification at disproportionate rates. Financial challenges and anxieties associated with poverty can further strain families’ ability to navigate complex processes.Įven once the form is completed and submitted, students can be selected for income and asset verification. The process can be especially challenging for low-income students, who tend to have fewer academic supports and whose parents are less likely to have been through the college application process. The FAFSA has historically been a very difficult form to navigate. Complexity of financial aid processes pose challenges for applicants This post outlines these barriers and makes recommendations to alleviate them. Studies show that complications in the FAFSA filing process, as well as lack of awareness about financial aid options and the overall cost of college, can pose significant barriers to college application and attendance, particularly for low-income students.Ĭontinuing to improve college access, particularly for low-income students, begins with understanding the barriers students face in filling out the FAFSA and acquiring financial aid. However, not all students do, and those most likely to benefit from federal aid are also less likely to apply for it-in 2016, 63% of college-intending high schoolers in the lowest-income quintile completed a FAFSA, compared to 73% of those in the highest-income quintile. Twitter year, high school seniors fill out a FAFSA to determine their eligibility for student financial aid to pay for college.
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