Policymakers, post-secondary education leaders, and researchers agree: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be a barrier to achieving our nation’s college access goals. The sheer number of complicated and personal questions asked on the form can deter some students from going to college, or from receiving federal aid. Concerns about the FAFSA’s negative impact on enrollment and financial aid have sparked a bipartisan push to simplify and shorten the form by removing ‘unnecessary’ questions.
