Hearings on the charging of processing fees to low- and middle-income students who apply for federal student assistance under Title IV of the Higher Education Act are presented. Attention is focused on whether the Department of Education's decision to eliminate the "check-off" option from the forms provided by the major processors violates the intent of Congress to make federal aid available without charge. This check-off option allows students to indicate that they are applying only for federal aid. The 1982-1983 Financial Aid Form (FAF), sponsored and processed by the College Scholarship Service, not only excludes the check-off option but does not mention that there is no fee for applying for federal aid or that there is an alternative form available for which no fee is required. The Department ruled that an institution and/or state agency might require additional data elements to determine eligibility for nonfederal aid, and that students could be charged fees for the collection and analysis of such data. The new multiple data entry mechanism allows students to apply for state, institutional, and federal funds with one form. The 1981-1982 and 1982-1983 versions of the FAF and the Basic Grant Application Form are provided. (SW)