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New Tool to Help Families Plan for College |
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U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today unveiled a new online tool to help students and families financially prepare and plan for college before a student's senior year of high school. Called the FAFSA4caster, it provides students with an early estimate of their eligibility for federal financial aid, which could include a Pell grant of up to $4,310. "Improving college access and affordability are key to giving more Americans a chance at higher education and keeping America competitive," said Secretary Spellings. Last September, Secretary Spellings announced her plans to improve the U.S. higher education system, based on the recommendations in the final report of her Commission on the Future of Higher Education. In addition to helping families make informed decisions as they plan for college, the FAFSA4caster will also reduce the application time when students file their FAFSA in their senior year in high school. Need-based aid is one of the topics that will be discussed during Secretary Spellings' Higher Education Summit, "A Test of Leadership---Committing to Advance Post-Secondary Education for all Americans," on Thursday, March 22 in Washington, D.C. The summit will focus on action items around five recommendations from the Commission's report that will make an impact on improving college access, affordability and accountability in America's higher education system, including aligning K-12 and higher education expectations; increasing need-based aid for access and success; using accreditation to support and emphasize student learning outcomes; serving adults and other non-traditional students; and enhancing affordability, decreasing costs, and promoting productivity.
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