The Education Department imposes a twin penalty

The new federal student aid formula unfairly targets families with multiple children in college simultaneously by disproportionately reducing their financial aid. The Education Department still calculates a family's ability to pay and determines the expected parental contribution, but the updated system exacerbates the "twin penalty" issue, making it harder for these families to afford college expenses. This change matters because it affects a significant portion of families and can hinder their ability to support more than one child through higher education at the same time, raising concerns about fairness and economic strain on families.