Students with the greatest financial need are the least prepared to submit financial aid applications in time to meet deadlines, according to a study by the University of Illinois at Chicago and an Illinois financial aid official.
Low-income students with “a slightly higher expected family contribution are more likely to complete the application in time, as are those who had at least one parent who attended college, and who had better grades in school,” said Mary Feeney, an associate professor of public administration at the university.
According to the report, some of the barriers low-income students face when applying for aid are confusing forms, questions about family financial status that students alone don’t know how to answer, a lack of knowledge about available support and shifting deadlines.
