In both the stacks of research compiled by education think tanks and in the conversations had around the dining room table by families of aspiring college students, one stumbling block to college enrollment predictably crops up--financial aid. The topics range from avoiding endless, crushing debt to options for part-time jobs. But often the focus returns to the complexities of applying for financial aid and determining what a student has been awarded. To help, a sizable segment of the higher education community has been working to make financial aid options clearer and simpler--especially the sometimes inconsistent and confusing messaging about what has been awarded--so students can determine their final costs and weigh which schools they can afford.