EARLY ACCESS: The Department of Education is opening up the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application on Oct. 1—three months earlier than the traditional Jan. 1 date. The department is on a mission to increase awareness: it’s releasing a CollegeHumor video with Michelle Obama as part of its campaign.
Organizations are also getting on board with the mission to help students make smart decisions about their future. Google is incorporating data from the College Scorecard into its search rankings, for instance.