Forum - Even as the price of college rises, more low-income students who would likely get federal financial aid aren’t even bothering to apply.
A new report by the American Council on Education estimates 1.5 million students who would probably have been awarded Pell Grants in 2003-04 did not apply for them. That’s up from ACE’s estimate in a previous survey of 850,000 who missed out on aid in 1999-2000.
A major reason is probably confusion over the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Today, at stations set up in high schools, libraries and other buildings across in 25 states, volunteers will help students and families with the forms as part of a program called College Goal Sunday.
Tally Hart, who co-founded the program and is director of student financial aid at Ohio State University, says too many students simply assume they will not be eligible because of their income level, when in fact other factors such as recently losing a job or having other children in college can extend a family’s eligibility.
I wonder if it has ever occurred to these people that maybe 1.5 million students don't need financial aid? I know it is shocking to most big-government types to find out that some Americans don't need and/or don't want government assistance, even when they're eligible, but that doesn't make it any less true.
When I went to college I qualified for aid, but I didn't apply for any. It would have been nice, but I don't believe in taking tax dollars when I don't need them. I also don't see the point in going through a lot of effort to convince people to use a government program they weren't interested in to begin with.
What we should be doing, I think, is figuring out how to make it so people need less government aid (or don't need it at all), not figuring out how to make them take more of it.