Students are faced with more than 100 questions when filling out a federal application for financial aid and they usually need extensive help and maybe even an instruction manual to complete.
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, visited Northeast State Community College today to discuss his and Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet's Financial Aid Simplification and Transparency Act.
The FAST Act would eliminate the FAFSA by reducing the 10-page application to asking students for two pieces of information: family size and household income two years ago. In addition to other facets of the act, it would discourage over-borrowing, would simplify repayment options, and would streamline the federal grant loan programs.
Dr. Janice Gilliam, president of Northeast State; Brian Noland, president of East Tennessee State University; Dr. Bill Greer, president of Milligan College; two students, a parent and two counselors shared their views on the act during the round-table discussion.