A little over half of all students who were eligible for the Pell Grant were selected for verification in 2015-16.<\/p>\n
The procedure, which requires students to submit additional paperwork to prove their income, inserts an extra step into the financial aid process. And in an op-ed published by The Hill<\/em> this week, Justin Draeger\u2014president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators\u2014voiced concerns that verification keeps some students from attending college.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe National College Access Network estimates that more than 1 in 5 low-income students selected for verification will experience \u2018verification melt\u2019 and never complete the process, effectively preventing them from obtaining the necessary funds to pursue a college degree or certificate,\u201d Draeger wrote.<\/p>\n His suggestion? Fix the FAFSA by importing tax and other information from sources that have already been verified by the federal government.<\/p>\n \u201cLow-income students already face incredible challenges when it comes to preparing for and being accepted into college,\u201d Draeger wrote. \u201cSecuring the financial means to pay for that education should not be one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Check out the full op-ed<\/a> and read more about summer melt<\/a>.<\/p>\n Admitted writer\/editor Mary Stegmeir welcomes additional comments and story ideas at\u00a0mstegmeir@nacacnet.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A little over half of all students who were eligible for the Pell Grant were selected for verification in 2015-16. The procedure, which requires students to submit additional paperwork to prove their income, inserts an extra step into the financial aid process. And in an op-ed published by The Hill this week, Justin Draeger\u2014president and … Continue reading \u2018Verification Melt\u2019 Keeps Students from College Dreams<\/span>