Federal 100: Jennifer Douglas

Jennifer Douglas
General Manager, Student Aid Awareness and Applicant Services Channel, Office of Federal Student Aid
Education Department

Douglas simplified the Web-based system that parents and students use to apply for federal financial aid and also negotiated a data-sharing arrangement with the Internal Revenue Service that makes it possible to prepopulate some fields of the application form.

Those changes have made the application process much less difficult at a time when the number of aid inquiries has reached record-breaking levels because of a mini baby boom and the struggling economy.

"Even in a typical year, attempting anything on the order of [this] magnitude of simplification or the IRS Data Match would be daunting," said Carlo Uchello, vice president of Education Services. "To accomplish both in one year -- a year of record and still growing volumes -- is nothing short of extraordinary."

Read more about the 2010 Federal 100 award winners.