How simplifying college funding applications for low-income students increased financial aid by 33%

In 2006, the Federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education concluded many students “don’t enter college because of inadequate information and rising costs, combined with a confusing financial aid system.” 

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) awards college grants to students from families with a household income under $45,000, but not enough people are aware the program exists, let alone whether they could be eligible. Those that do take advantage of the FAFSA are faced with a challenging form that’s several times longer than most standard tax returns.

The intervention broke down a common barrier to low- and moderate-income families by simplifying the application, resulting in increased aid awarded and college enrollments. Operating on evidence of the impact of defaults on participation rates, the intervention reduced the number of decisions in the application process to increase FAFSA completion rates.