This Congress Says it Will Fix the Student Loan Mess. Here is Their Plan.

Ben Barrett was quoted in Circa about Congressional attempts to streamline financial aid and student loan programs:

"There’s general consensus that things are too complicated for both institutions and students," said Ben Barrett, an education policy expert with the New America Foundation. 

"A lot of low-income students are discouraged when they sit down and see 130 questions," Barrett said. "They don't always know their parents' income, their parents may not even know their income and low-income students are already debt averse." 

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Barrett explained that's because those borrowers tend to be more financially stable and usually don't have a problem paying back their debt. But people who take out smaller loans often struggle to pay them back.