Small Changes, Big Impact: Reducing Administrative Burdens In State Financial Aid

In the latest addition to the National College Attainment Network's (NCAN) state policy resource library, we present a new report about how to simplify state financial aid programs. While maximum award amounts tend to grab headlines, the fine print can make all the difference in whether students can access and retain state aid. Those most impacted by extraneous and time-consuming processes and requirements are first generation and low-income students. Research has shown that simplifying financial aid can have a big impact for relatively low cost, yet many programs unnecessarily complicate the process of receiving and maintaining aid. A comprehensive analysis of state financial aid programs identified over 350 programs, an average of seven per state. Many of the programs had extraneous requirements like a high school curriculum requirement (10%), college entrance exam score requirements (17%), eligibility only for a special student population (18%), or a requirement that students could not receive other aid (6%). This resource provides a roadmap for NCAN members to audit their state financial aid programs to identify areas for improvement. It includes: (1) A checklist of common financial, academic, timeline and other requirements that exacerbate inequities (2) State examples and exemplars; (3) Dos and don'ts for state financial aid websites; and (4) Policy recommendations for state policy advocates This work builds on recent state policy and advocacy tools from NCAN, such as State Financial Aid Framework, 50-state analysis of the economic value of postsecondary education, state-by-state affordability gap analysis, and much more.