3 ms·

I'm sympathetic to this view. In general, I tend to favor flat programs that no one prices out of instead of need-based programs, because it gets rid of the ma

I'm sympathetic to this view. In general, I tend to favor flat programs that no one prices out of instead of need-based programs, because it gets rid of the marginal tax that happens when you earn more. (Every program that is just "for the poor" is a marginal tax on the person climbing out of poverty.) Also, I view the financial aid merely as price discrimination. We wouldn't consider another industry as compassionate for looking through our finances before deciding what we could "really afford." However, all that said: the FAFSA really isn't that hard to fill out. If a person cannot fill out the FAFSA, why are we sending them to college? Will we fill out their college application for them, too?

romaniv 12y ago
FAFSA documents are not complicated to fill out, but the overall process require you to spend some amount of time on jumping through various hoops. Also, it has prerequisites and conditions you need to keep track of. For people who are short on money (and therefore time) all of that has significance.
- danielweber 12y ago
  College requires time and jumping through hoops. If you can't keep track of the FAFSA application, how are you going to keep track of the class assignments? Is the goal to make "attended college" become completely useless as a job market signal? Why are we trying to cram people into college if it means nothing?
  - jacalata 12y ago
    College requires time and money, yes. The FAFSA is supposed to provide them for people who don't have them already. So saying 'if you don't have time and money you shouldn't go to college anyway' is kind of missing the point.
    - danielweber 12y ago
      There seems to be a communication failure here, because you accuse me of saying things I'm not saying. They might be things you wish I were saying, but I'm not. I'm working off these two premises: 1. The FAFSA is free to fill out, but it takes time and attention, which you say some people do not have. 2. Even if we make community college completely free, it will still take time and attention. So, if the FAFSA is a significant barrier to someone getting into college because it takes time and attention, why do we think this person will suddenly garner a mass of time and attention when it becomes necessary to do the classwork?
      - jacalata 12y ago
        There is definitely a communication failure here. Are you asking why filling in the FAFSA might solve someone's problems around lack of money, or are you disagreeing that lack of money is a contributing factor to the lack of time and attention they prospective students have? In case it's the first: the FAFSA, once filled out, makes these students eligible to receive money in the form of student loans and grants, which can cover living expenses as well as tuition. And to address the second: having money means you don't have to work, or can work fewer hours, and in general reduces the cognitive load of 'how do I afford to live', freeing up time and attention that the student can now put towards their studies.
        deleted 12y ago
        [deleted]
- lifehug 12y ago
  At first my adviser did all of this for me. It was waaaaaaaaay easier than any test I ever took in college.
dhimes 12y ago
Community College isn't just about college level work. Some of their developmental courses start at the fourth grade level. Many of the people attending are fairly new to the country.

romaniv 12y ago

FAFSA documents are not complicated to fill out, but the overall process require you to spend some amount of time on jumping through various hoops. Also, it has prerequisites and conditions you need to keep track of. For people who are short on money (and therefore time) all of that has significance.

danielweber 12y ago
College requires time and jumping through hoops. If you can't keep track of the FAFSA application, how are you going to keep track of the class assignments? Is the goal to make "attended college" become completely useless as a job market signal? Why are we trying to cram people into college if it means nothing?
- jacalata 12y ago
  College requires time and money, yes. The FAFSA is supposed to provide them for people who don't have them already. So saying 'if you don't have time and money you shouldn't go to college anyway' is kind of missing the point.
  - danielweber 12y ago
    There seems to be a communication failure here, because you accuse me of saying things I'm not saying. They might be things you wish I were saying, but I'm not. I'm working off these two premises: 1. The FAFSA is free to fill out, but it takes time and attention, which you say some people do not have. 2. Even if we make community college completely free, it will still take time and attention. So, if the FAFSA is a significant barrier to someone getting into college because it takes time and attention, why do we think this person will suddenly garner a mass of time and attention when it becomes necessary to do the classwork?
    - jacalata 12y ago
      There is definitely a communication failure here. Are you asking why filling in the FAFSA might solve someone's problems around lack of money, or are you disagreeing that lack of money is a contributing factor to the lack of time and attention they prospective students have? In case it's the first: the FAFSA, once filled out, makes these students eligible to receive money in the form of student loans and grants, which can cover living expenses as well as tuition. And to address the second: having money means you don't have to work, or can work fewer hours, and in general reduces the cognitive load of 'how do I afford to live', freeing up time and attention that the student can now put towards their studies.
      - deleted 12y ago
        [deleted]
lifehug 12y ago
At first my adviser did all of this for me. It was waaaaaaaaay easier than any test I ever took in college.

dhimes 12y ago

Community College isn't just about college level work. Some of their developmental courses start at the fourth grade level. Many of the people attending are fairly new to the country.