"Congress passed the $900 billion pandemic relief bill last night, providing long-awaited aid to Americans struggling in the pandemic. Though most of the interest has centered around the authorization of stimulus checks and emergency unemployment benefits, the legislation also is notable for clearing one of the biggest hurdles for low-income students to attend college," Quartz reports. 

"In a letter to congressional leaders on Dec. 3, the head of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators wrote that low-income students complete the Fafsa 'at a rate 7 percentage points lower than their higher-income peers.'

The Fafsa application for the 2020-2021 school year became available Oct. 1. Early data show the completion is down 13.5% versus last year. The long, complex financial form has long been seen as a barrier for first-generation college students who aren’t used to filling out the form."

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 12/22/2020