College aid letters are misleading students and need a legal fix

New federal research says colleges are failing to give accepted students clear and standard information about financial aid packages. The consequences can be extremely disruptive, including, for some students, dropping out of school.

"Colleges are not providing students the information they need," says Melissa Emrey-Arras, who led the research by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. "And if colleges don't do that, students can make decisions that are consequential for their futures."

In addition to potentially leaving