$2 million not applied for by high school seniors
Madera Unified is concerned that some of its students are not getting everything to which they are entitled. The problem centers on $2 million that was left on the table by local high school seniors because a complex application for student aid was not completed this winter.
According to figures released by Babatunde Ilori, director of performance management for the district, 164 MUSD students who met the eligibility criteria would have been eligible to become a Cal Grant recipient if the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) had been completed.
This phenomenon is not unique to Madera. According to Carlo Salerno, a Washington DC education economist, students and their parents all over the nation are turning their backs on the assistance because “families find the form confusing and the financial information requests ridiculously detailed.
Salerno claims the process is so convoluted between the federal government, colleges, and students that the simple act of calculating and distributing a single number can take weeks to accomplish.” ...