THE STATE SCHOLARSHIPS of Massachusetts are a hodgepodge. Each one was created separately over decades. Together, scholarships, grants, and waivers amount to at least 40 programs each with their own eligibility, due dates, and benefits. This has created a road block for students, especially low income students, to earn vital financial aid.

Up until recently, the total aid provided by these state programs was small enough not to influence a student’s college decision. However, with the state’s introduction of the new MassGrant Plus Expansion, students can now receive tuition-free grants substantial enough to cover their tuition and fees, along with an additional $1,200 for books and supplies.

However, the system’s opaqueness presents obstacles, particularly for low-income students who can be unaware of the significant financial aid available to them. Other states and even regions within Massachusetts have successfully implemented technological solutions to offer students a transparent and user-friendly portal to access this critical information. It’s time for our state to follow suit.

One legislative initiative, the currently debated Universal FAFSA bill, is a step in the right direction. FAFSA is the doorway for low and middle income students to gain access to generous federal grants. Every student will be included unless they choose to opt out, a strategy that promotes widespread participation. Moreover, failing to complete the FAFSA would render the student ineligible to receive the newly expanded MassGrant Plus, whereas registering for FAFSA ensures automatic qualification for the new state benefits without the necessity of a separate application.

This makes it all the more critical to build an easy use portal that invites students to apply. Complexity argues in favor of a portal that clearly shows the benefits to a student.  The sad truth is that many students, especially low income students, are unaware of the aid readily available to them. A portal would be a great tool for Guidance Counsellors to encourage students so long as they are trained on it. College guidance officers are themselves struggling to determine a student’s eligibility for state aid due to the various programs’ complexity and overlap. An integrated online portal, encompassing all grants, scholarships, and waivers, would enable students to ascertain the full extent of aid for which they qualify.

The Healey-Driscoll Administration has rightly identified this issue and proposed funding a technological solution through an IT bond Bill. The bill’s broad language suggests that it could support the creation of a scholarship portal. Fortunately, there is no need to start from scratch. The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, for instance, provides students with a streamlined portal that requires only one application. Upon submission, this single application is reviewed, and students are matched with over 160 scholarships for which they are eligible. A similar universal application process is available for over 100 scholarships managed by the SouthCoast Community Foundation.

Who loses from a confusing scholarship system? It is not the families able to hire college advisors able to scope out the most promising scholarships for their children. It is the needy students who must do their own detective work. Too often they conclude college is too expensive without knowing the resources they could access. In our efforts to make college affordable for all we have constructed an intricate labyrinth of information. Simplifying access to grants and scholarships would assist students in finding their way to college.

Robert Hildreth is a philanthropist and education reformer. He is the founder of Inversant, La Vida Scholars, and other nonprofit organizations with complementary missions of expanding access to high-quality education opportunities to low-income families and restoring the promise of higher education.

Robert Hildreth is founder and president of Hildreth Institute, a non-profit organization based in Boston that aims to increase awareness among students, families, and higher education institutions about...