Most proposals that have come out of Congress over the last several months have been divisive. But there's one most students can agree upon: a requirement, passed as part of the Higher Education Act's reauthorization, that the FAFSA be simplified.
It should be. There's no reason students and families should have to plough through five pages of questions, most of which they already answered in a tax return. The Secretary of Education has endorsed condensing the form as well.
But with a new administration, there's no telling what will happen next. True, Congress and President Obama will have a lot to tend to - the war, the economy and energy independence all come to mind.
This proposal, however, needs to be a priority of higher education, and the Obama administration should work to have a new form ready for students by 2010.
In a season of change, this is one of the real no-brainers.
Editorial Follow Up
Things are looking a lot brighter west of campus, and it's because the area is now, well, lit.
As part of an ongoing project, the Division of Public Safety and the Undergraduate Assembly have extended lighting and lamp-posts to the areas off campus in which most students live. Students and community residents can now feel much safer during long winter evenings.
Keeping areas well lit is key to preventing crime, and it's comforting to see the continued vigilance.
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