"Congressional education leaders are hopeful about reaching a deal in the coming days to simplify applying for student aid, a major priority for Lamar Alexander, the chairman of the Senate education committee, who is retiring shortly after the new year," Inside Higher Ed reports. 

..."Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, noted that the top Republican in the Senate choked up on the Senate floor in introducing Alexander Wednesday. McConnell, indeed, had said he is 'dreading life in the Senate without [his] brilliant friend.'"

..."Simplifying the FAFSA would be applauded by financial aid administrators. “While beneficial to all students and families, simplifying the FAFSA would be particularly helpful for low-income students, those who are most likely to feel discouraged by the complexity of the financial aid application process. It is a sad irony that low-income students, who stand to benefit the most from federal student aid, are completing the FAFSA at a rate seven percentage points lower than that of their higher-income peers,” Draeger wrote McConnell, Schumer and House leaders on Thursday."

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: 12/7/2020