Contact: By: Congressman Mike Castle

Seaford | March 11, 2010 - During this time of economic uncertainty, many people are turning to college and job training programs to expand their knowledge and skill sets.

While advanced degrees are more valuable than ever and serve as key factors in turning around our economy, college costs are skyrocketing and continue to increase faster than annual household income, leading many to question whether they can afford to pursue a postsecondary education.

I recently held my third annual financial aid fair at Volunteer Hose Company of Middletown. Parents of college applicants and students of all ages throughout Delaware unfamiliar with the student aid process and concerned with how to finance postsecondary and job training opportunities attended the fair to learn about the tools available to them.

Most people are eligible to receive federal, state and other financial assistance to help pay for advanced education programs, however, they are not certain what the necessary steps in obtaining aid are, and do not know where to locate the required information to apply for such aid.

Although some progress has been made in simplifying financial aid procedures and forms, we must continue working to drive down college costs, and to ensure information about the financial aid process is easily accessible so that anyone wishing to pursue postsecondary education or job training opportunities has the means to do so.

Over the past five decades, the amount of financial aid available to students has risen to more than $168 billion. Many students, however, continue missing out on aid.

According to the recent study “How America Pays for College,” during the 2007-2008 academic year, 24 percent of families did not complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the form required to determine one’s eligibility for federal aid, state aid and scholarships. Nearly half of those who did not complete the form believed they would not be eligible for financial aid or were unaware of the application.

In truth, almost everyone is eligible to receive federal financial assistance but must apply to receive this aid by completing the FAFSA. To complete the FAFSA, it is necessary to have several forms on hand, including a driver’s license, one’s most recent federal tax return, W-2 forms, bank statements, and investment account information.

The FAFSA can be filled out online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Additionally, by visiting www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov one can estimate how much federal aid they would receive.

To increase the chances of receiving federal aid, it is important to fill all necessary forms out accurately and to understand each school or program of interest’s deadlines for submitting all required forms.

Additionally, I would encourage those interested in attending college to visit www.college.gov to obtain information about planning, preparing and paying for a postsecondary education.

For those interested in job training and career information, www.careervoyages.gov provides a number of resources and detailed information about in-demand occupations along with the skills and education needed to attain these jobs.

Finally, many organizations and officials are holding financial aid informational sessions as students, families and individuals begin considering how they might finance an advanced degree.

As I mentioned, I held a financial aid fair recently where Delawareans of all ages met with officials from the Delaware and U.S. Departments of Education, the Delaware Workforce Investment Board, local colleges and universities, tax advisors and lenders to learn about the tools available to them and for assistance with filling out the FAFSA.

The Delaware Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators has also been offering “Financial Aid Nights.” For more information about this program, visit www.doe.k12.de.us.

Currently, those who are interested in pursuing a higher education or career training programs face far too many hurdles.

Whether it’s a lack of accessible information or uncertainty of available programs, it is important that these hurdles are cleared so that Americans are able to compete in today’s global economy.

We must continue working to ensure that pursuing higher education is affordable and available to all who wish to take on the challenge.