Education assistance and/or fully subsidized post-secondary education

[krazykikikat]

I am in a bit of a rut. I want to make a change in higher education policy, but I don't know where to start.
My grievance springs from the inadequacies of the FAFSA's system for determining financial need. I think it's ridiculous that legal adults who don't live with, depend on, or even have any contact with their parents, may still be considered financially dependent -- limiting, in the government's eyes, their need for aid. I think the inequality of this would be a pretty easy point to make. BUT. I don't quite know what alternative I could propose.
In addition, my underlying grievance is that we Americans have to pay for college at all. Other countries have free college for anyone who gets good enough grades, and I think that's a smart idea, considering the country would benefit from producing more educated individuals.

So on the one hand, I feel like petitioning for a change in the aid system would just be a band-aid, and isn't what I ultimately think should happen, therefore might be too much effort for too little gain. On the other hand, I know activists have been petitioning for subsidized education for a long time, and what difference could I make? Perhaps we need to find another foothold, just get a little closer to full subsidization, before the government will even consider going that route, in which case revising the financial aid system is a worthwhile pursuit.
I'm tempted to go for the smaller aim first, changing financial aid.

But even if I do decide which route to take, I don't really know where to start. I suppose I would try to make change in the usual democratic way: getting the attention of the higher-ups. But that already presents one question: which higher-ups are in charge of legislation that might change the financial aid system? And what alternative to the current system can I offer them? I am not very good with numbers and matters of the economy baffle me; but I DO know that there are perhaps millions of Americans who need help funding college and are not getting it, and for ridiculous reasons.

And once I know who to talk to and what to say, how should I begin whipping up support? Writing letters, posting fliers, sending out pamphlets, holding protests? Should I found a local activism group, or even an online one to coordinate nationwide protest? Are there such groups for this specific aim already that I might join?
I confess I would prefer to be in a leadership position, because I'm the kind of person who feels I need to do things myself if they are to be done right. But, as I've said, I don't really know enough about activism methods to be a leader -- yet. And I am willing to be subordinate to someone who does have experience and who I deem to be a competent leader. I just want to take an active part, more active than putting my name on a petition, perhaps more active than holding a sign.

Any pointers?