the FAFSA fee and other "grrrr"s

FAFSA: FREE Application for Federal Student Aid. Do you see the free? It's in the name. However, there is a fee. A $50 fee. If you renew. Suck! But fine, $50 for free money is bearable. What wasn't bearable was the humiliating process of renewing my FAFSA. I wanted to cry as I explained to the girl for the THIRD time that I am divorced with a dependent who I cannot claim on my taxes in odd years but who I support more than 50% of the year. I swear if she used the phrase "I assume." one more time I was going to go through the phone and shatter her nose with my damn tax return. "I assume you have no income for 2007...I assume you are single with no dependents...I assume you'll be living on campus...I assume you did not take the child tax credit..." Being "assumed" about is just not pleasant. *big sigh*