In today’s Pope Center piece, Jenna Ashley Robinson writes about FAFSA — the thick federal form students and families have to fill out if they want any of the money our generous politicians make available for college students. (Tomorrow if FAFSA Day in North Carolina.) The trouble is that all the financial information about family wealth enables college officials to practice price discrimination quite effectively — that is, charging more to families perceived as being less sensitive to high prices. FAFSA thus helps colleges maximize revenue, much of which is then spent on the useless “arms race” of gaining in prestige.
by George Leef