The government needs to take taxes into account for financial aid eligibility. Student workers should not be able to access student information. The registration office needs to do more student training to let people know what types of financial aid are available. People don't fill out forms because they don't believe they will qualify. The state of Minnesota is trying to do a better job of educating the public on what types of financial aid are available.
Most people just eliminate themselves before they even apply.
Counselors need to sit down with everyone, not just traditional students. Something needs to be done to accommodate for mid-year transfers. Some loans have to be cancelled and other ones have to be taken out. Schools should accept the professional judgments made by other schools. This would make the process better.