Kyle Williams, Program Specialist, represented Access College Foundation on a panel in Washington DC as an expert in the field of college access. There is strong bipartisan interest on Capitol Hill in simplifying the first and most visible step in the student aid process: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). But there is little awareness of, or advocacy around, what happens after the application is filed and why it matters. The panel discussed the barriers that the FAFSA verification process can create for low-income or otherwise at-risk students.
This collaborative project between TICAS, NCAN and NASFAA aims to educate members of Congress and their staff about the need to ensure that simplification on the front end of the application process isn’t undermined by complexity on the back end, where burdensome “verification” paperwork can delay or block eligible low-income students’ access to aid.
Thank you Kyle for sharing stories and information on how this process is impacting our students in South Hampton Roads and Northampton County and what can be done to improve the financial aid process! Read the full report here.