Questioning FAFSA: How farm kids could be impacted by the latest changes to college financial aid

Iowa lawmakers are asking the U.S. Education Dept. for clarity on a new FAFSA question asking students to list family farm assets, which could reduce their grant.

Lawmakers from Iowa are questioning the latest changes to FAFSA.

Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are asking the Department of Education for clarity regarding Question 22 on the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The new section could force students to list the net worth of family farms as assets, making them less eligible for financial aid. Lawmakers fear this would make farm kids less likely to attend college. In a letter to the education department, the senators say farm assets, like crops or livestock, cannot get cashed out to support a loan in the same capacity as traditional investments.

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