What has eight pages, 137 questions, is due in just a few short days and is dreaded by students and their parents alike?
No, not a final exam. It's the FAFSA - the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The form estimates the amount a family can contribute to a student's higher education and is used to determine federal financial aid.
Getting one's share of the U.S. Department of Education's $83 billion in loans and grants might seem like more trouble than it's worth: The process is long and complicated. But FAFSA applications at Ohio University are up to 12,107 from last year's 11,643 - a 4 percent jump. In fact, applications are up nationwide. The Department of Education has received 1.5 million more applications this year than it had this time last year.
With demand increasing, now would be a good time to simplify the process. One of President Barack Obama's campaign promises was to do away with the FAFSA in favor of a check marked box on federal tax forms. Of course, not all campaign promises can be fulfilled in the first three months of his term. But fixing financial aid would be an almost universally popular move. While the change would require some bureaucratic shuffling in the beginning, efficiency would make it worth it in the long run.
Plus, students will never again have to worry about losing their personal identification numbers.
Editorials represent the views of The Post's executive editors.
4 Opinion
FAFSA process should be streamlined
