"The plan that the White House unveiled on Wednesday for simplifying the form, known as the Fafsa, wouldn't go that far, and its most significant changes would require Congressional approval. Still, financial-aid experts say the president's proposal will greatly simplify the process of applying for student aid, while creating momentum for broader change going forward," The Chronicle of Higher Education reports. "The plan, which Education Secretary Arne Duncan described at his first White House press briefing, would expand the use of 'skip logic' in the online FAFSA, allowing applicants to bypass more questions than they can now. It would also ask Congress to strike from the form dozens of questions about family income and assets and allow some applicants to retrieve tax data to answer many of the remaining questions. That final change has been a long time coming."

You can read the complete June 25, 2009 Chronicle of Higher Education article on-line.

Additional Media Coverage

FAFSA, the Perfect, and the Good Inside Higher Ed

Obama announces simpler college financial aid process Newsday

Federal college aid form to be streamlined The Los Angeles Times

Obama to make it easier to apply for college aid The Christian Science Monitor

Government to Streamline Financial Aid Application in Early 2010 The New York Times

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