The Foreign Service Journal, December 2015

EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT 64 DECEMBER 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL more students never apply to college because they don’t know federal funding is available. “Applying for financial aid has been so cumbersome and poorly timed that many students don’t bother,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told reporters during a conference call in September. A White House statement at the same time made it clear that a simplified process “could encourage hundreds of thousands “Applying for financial aid has been so cumbersome and poorly timed that many students don’t bother.” —Secretary of Education Arne Duncan of additional students to apply for and claim the aid they are eligible for—and enroll in college.” Despite these positive changes, some have expressed concern about whether colleges will move deadlines for provid- ing financial aid information to match the new federal timeline. However, the National Association of Student Finan- cial Aid Administrators, an organization that covers institutions attended by 90 percent of undergraduates, has stated that it expects many colleges will align themselves with the government dead- line leading up to 2017-2018. Another concern is that many private universities use the College Board’s Col- lege Scholarship Service Profile, rather than FAFSA data, to assess students for financial aid. But the College Board has already expressed support for the reforms and may also restructure its own deadlines in the near future. Note: It is important for applicants to remember that for the 2016-2017 academic year, students still cannot submit the FAFSA until January. Beginning in 2017-2018, students will be able to submit in October 2016. n