The Education Department is revising the federal financial aid application to make it easier for homeless college students to access loans and grants, in response to requests from Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.).
Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has sent letters urging the department to simplify requirements that ask students to verify their living situation every year and supply documentation stating they’re homeless. She has taken issue with instructions in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, that tell homeless students that all decisions are final, implying that they cannot contact the department with questions or concerns about their status. Murray also noted that the department’s definition of "youth" in the FAFSA excludes older students who are dealing with the instability of being homeless.
Read more at The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/06/28/education-department-eases-financial-aid-application-restrictions-for-homeless-college-students/