Researchers Offer New Ideas for College Financial Aid Reform

Federal Plus loans

When the Feds lower the prime rate this time, hopefully it will also affect the college Federal Plus loans for parents. 8.5% is way too high. We should be paying less than 6%.

simply FAFSA

We are charged for every application to each college my daughter wanted to investigate. I think a plan where the University's recieve financial awards for the students they choose and if they reject the student then they do get financial awards. FAFSA does not go to the expense of sending out information on paper and postage. The universitys should be able to access everystudent and a tax form permited by the student. In this electornict age that should not cost$50 for archiveal imput.

FAFSA Revamping

As a Financial Aid Amdinistrator I feel it is crucial to the continued education of our young people to greatly simplify the FAFSA.

College Tuition

How about considering one simple thing: lower the cost of tuition. College tuitions are at a ridiculously high level just like government spending and everything else going on. With salaries remaining flat just how high can tuitions go before we become a class society again with the have's going to college and the have-not's doing nothing.

college savings plans

While many of the proposals of the study group have merit, the idea of government college savings plans do not. The actual proposal is for the federal government to identify low income families while the children are young, and to have (only) federal dollars (about $250 per year) deposited into an account for them.

The problem with this plan is that incomes fluctuate. While parents are young and just starting their careers, their incomes are generally low, but they rise. Likewise, a family might start out well but run into financial problems later. Are their children going to be denied help, just because they are older?

There are too many injustices built into this type of financial aid.