Comments on: Merit Aid is a Lie http://www.quickanded.com/2009/02/merit-aid-is-lie.html The Quick and the Ed is an education blog published by Education Sector, an independent think tank in Washington D.C. The Quick and the Ed offers in-depth analysis on the latest in education policy and research. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:02:46 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: Public Administrator http://www.quickanded.com/2009/02/merit-aid-is-lie.html/comment-page-1#comment-479 Public Administrator Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:27:00 +0000 http://www.quickanded.com/wordpress/?p=1480#comment-479 This is the second article in the NY Times in recent days that that has been off the mark. The Times' front page article on the FAFSA last week failed to mention that colleges can essentially throw the FAFSA results out the window when it comes to price discrimination. A student's "aid package" may or may not reflect the FAFSA calculations.<br/><br/>There is one advantage to having discounts considered expenditures rather than reductions in revenue: it's possible to track who gets the aid. Or it could be possible, that is, if colleges would release the information, or be required to release it by the U.S. Department of Education. <br/><br/>Until that happens, federal student aid programs are pouring taxpayer funds into a black hole at many colleges. This is the second article in the NY Times in recent days that that has been off the mark. The Times’ front page article on the FAFSA last week failed to mention that colleges can essentially throw the FAFSA results out the window when it comes to price discrimination. A student’s “aid package” may or may not reflect the FAFSA calculations.

There is one advantage to having discounts considered expenditures rather than reductions in revenue: it’s possible to track who gets the aid. Or it could be possible, that is, if colleges would release the information, or be required to release it by the U.S. Department of Education.

Until that happens, federal student aid programs are pouring taxpayer funds into a black hole at many colleges.

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