Day 2 Notes from the NASFAA – Conference — blog for anything
Day 2 Notes from the NASFAA Conference
I’ve never met a bunch of folks more dedicated to helping students and yet so at the mercy of larger societal ills than at NASFAA this year. One of the sessions, Helping Homeless Children Access Higher Education, was just appalling in the sense that the sheer volume of red tape that obstructs homeless kids from getting assistance could probably repave every highway in America.
That said, I’m also inspired to see how people who care are working around the system, developing personal networks and skills to help them navigate the system. They’re able to get kids with serious, legitimate need the help that they require. The only downside is that particular method scales poorly, which means a lot of kids with need just slip through the cracks.
For example, there’s no explicit provision on the FAFSA for homeless kids without parents, when common sense would tell you that they’re independent students and they should qualify for an auto-zero EFC. Hopefully as more folks advocate for them (particularly in light of record numbers of new homeless due to the mortgage meltdown) things like this will become easier to manage.
It’s interesting to see organizations like NASFAA beginning to address problems that eventually lead to financial aid issues down the road. It’s very proactive, and I commend them for thinking and acting with vision.
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