The FAFSA position is a historical term in

college admissions in the United States College admissions in the United States refers to the process of applying for entrance to institutions of higher education for undergraduate study at one of the nation's colleges or universities.Robin Mamlet and Christine VanDeVelde, College ...

that referred to the position where a prospective college appeared on an applicant's

FAFSA The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form completed by current and prospective college students (undergraduate and graduate) in the United States to determine their eligibility for student financial aid. The FAFSA is differ ...

form. FAFSA permits an applicant to list up to ten colleges on the form, and the entire list was historically sent to each college. As a result, admissions officers could see which other colleges a student is applying to and the ''order'' in which the colleges were listed. The US Department of Education changed the FAFSA for the 2016–2017 academic year to prevent schools from viewing other schools that may be listed on the application. A higher FAFSA position had been interpreted by admissions officials and enrollment consultants as a sign of greater demonstrated interest. Accordingly, a college's FAFSA position may have affected decisions regarding whether a student was admitted to the college, waitlisted, or how much financial aid was offered.Liz Weston, Reuters, November 11, 2013, Daily Finance
Colleges May Penalize Students Over Preference on Financial Aid Applications
Accessed Dec. 12, 2013, "... Students can list up to 10 schools to receive their financial aid information, and the ones they list first strongly predict which enrollment offers they're likely to accept, college consultants say..."Ry Rivard, October 28, 2013, ''Inside Higher Ed''
Using FAFSA Against Students
Accessed Dec. 12, 2013, "...Now, some colleges use this ''FAFSA position'' when considering students’ applications for admission, which may affect decisions about admission or placement on the wait list, said David Hawkins..."CBS News, Lynn O'Shaughnessy, October 30, 2013
Be careful what you share on the FAFSA
Accessed Dec. 12, 2013, "...The order, however, could also be hurting students who list their favorite school as No. 1. If a teenager shows too much interest in a school, the admission office may decide to offer the applicant a lower award because it is assumed that the child will enroll anyway..."Rachel Fishman, October 28, 2013, Access to Higher Education, Higher Ed Watch
The Dark Side of Enrollment Management
, Accessed Dec. 13, 2013, "...The FAFSA should either not allow institutions to see where students have applied or it should list the institutions in alphabetical order..." One report suggested that the importance of the FAFSA position as a factor signifying greater demonstrated interest was exaggerated.Rachel Riley, Daily Free Press (Boston University student newspaper), Oct 31, 2013
Report suggesting colleges discriminate based on FAFSA exaggerated, officials say
Accessed Dec. 13, 2013 Advisers suggested that applicants list colleges alphabetically to obscure any preferences. There had been calls for the

Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

to stop releasing data about other colleges as a matter of

privacy Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively. The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of a ...

or to alphabetize the list automatically.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Student financial aid in the United States Education finance in the United States University and college admissions in the United States United States government forms

See also

References