The Facts About College Financial Aid
Most American families are offsetting the high cost of college by applying for some degree of financial aid by submitting their FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) on or after January 2nd. Unfortunately, this is not a simple process as the college financial aid system is anything but user-friendly. There are an endless number of pitfalls in the application process, and it is far too easy for families to lose some or all of the aid they are eligible for.
Many families fail to even attempt application because they don’t know how to, or they incorrectly assume they are not qualified, or simply because they are intimidated by the complicated and confusing process and all its paperwork. With far more qualified applicants than desks in all of America’s colleges and universities, it is reasonable to expect a system intentionally designed to eliminate all but the most knowledgeable and persistent applicants.