White House to announce steps to ease access to student aid

USA: President Barack Obama will announce steps to bolster access to financial aid for students as part of efforts to make college more affordable, the White House said on Sunday.

Among the measures Obama will announce in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday will be allowing aspiring college students and their families to apply earlier under the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The FAFSA application helps determine eligibility for federally supported student loans as well as Pell Grants, a federal need-based student aid program.