On Monday, the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spoke to college students over a conference call about an initiative called the College Affordability Challenge.
He said the program, sponsored by MTV and CollegeBoard, is aimed to help college students explore ways to  make higher education more affordable and to make financial aid application an easier process.
Duncan said America used to have the highest college graduation rate of any country, but in the span of a generation, the country has fallen to ninth place. Duncan said President Barack Obama has started an initiative to put America back in the first place graduation position by 2020.
Duncan said as the economy recovers, all newly-created jobs will require a college degree, necessitating college affordability.
“One of our most important tasks is to make college more affordable,” Duncan said of his role as Secretary of Education.
He said steps are being taken to make college affordability a reality while simplifying the process of applying for financial aid and scholarships. This year, the FAFSA has been shortened and made more user-friendly for applicants. However, Duncan acknowledges there is still much work to be done.
“We are thrilled with the progress we made, but we have to go further,” Duncan said.
Duncan also said he believes college students need to make their voices heard in the political discussions surrounding this issue.
“Young people need to get out and vote in the November elections,” he said, encouraging students to evaluate candidates based on their standpoints on education.
Gaston Caperton, another speaker, is the president of College Board and previously served as governor of West Virginia.
College Board is a resource for college students to finding financial aid and choose the right college for them, and it currently serves about 7 million students.
Caperton said he agreed with many of Duncan’s points about the necessity of completing college.
“A college degree is more important today than it ever has been,” he said.
On the Mississippi State University campus, the department of Student Financial Aid encourages students to investigate financial aid options. Bruce Crain, director of Student Financial Aid, said there are many options available to MSU students wanting to maximize their financial aid.
The FAFSA is a huge part of financial aid available to students, Crain said, because it determines eligibility for grants, work-study programs and low-interest student loans.
However, Crain said the complexity of the FAFSA is one of the deterents to students and families.
“The FAFSA is horrible,” he said. “The feds have started the process of simplification, but we want them to go faster. Other things could be streamlined, too.”
Crain said there are many good financial aid opportunities designated just for residents of Mississippi. Many of these awards are dependent on ACT scores and high school GPA. There are also government-subsidized loans available to students committed to becoming teachers or nurses after college.
Crain said he has seen a disconnect between students and parents when it comes to communication, so he said he encourages students to check their BullyMail accounts regularly and to check the online portal for updates to their award notification letters. The department of Student Financial Aid advertises around campus to inform students of upcoming deadlines.
Brittany Roche, freshman animal and dairy science major, said she handled the process of general application scholarship by herself. She said there are a lot of available resources to students.
“As long as you put in the effort, you can get good financial aid,” Roche said.