In its first hundred days, the Obama administration demonstrated a strong commitment to expanding access to higher education. The economic stimulus package, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), increased funding for the Pell Grant program and over the next two years, the maximum award will grow to $5,550 in 2010-2011--the…

This booklet is intended to help high school students approaching graduation identify sources of financial assistance for postsecondary education. A question-and-answer format is used in the 10 sections which address the following topics: (1) general information (what is available from the Department of Education, criteria for applying, how to…

An evaluation of existing and proposed mechanisms to ensure data accuracy for the Pell Grant program is reported, and recommendations for efficient detection of fraud and error in the program are offered. One study objective was to examine the existing system of pre-established criteria (PEC), which are validation criteria that select students on…

This directory of financial aid sources for minority students with any major includes the following types of information: (1) a summary and description of the fields, including college enrollment statistics, the costs of higher education, definitions of types of financial aid, and financial aid offices; (2) a directory of general scholarships,…

The seventh module in a 17-module self-instructional course on student financial aid administration (designed for novice student financial aid administrators and other personnel) teaches how to calculate the cost of attendance. It provides a systematic introduction to the management of federal financial aid programs authorized by the Higher…

Reviews the history and impact of Pell Grants. Provides Senator Pell's assessment of the nation's ability to sustain its commitment to postsecondary educational access. Discusses the Education for Economic Security Act, which would fund employment-based training in high technologies. Feels current cutbacks jeopardize gains made in providing…

Used 23 years of federal, state, and institutional student-aid data to investigate the effects of federal grants to students on the behavior of higher education institutions. Pell grants, exemplifying "redivision federalism," appear highly fungible and inversely related to institutional grants to students, while campus-based federal…

On February 29, 2008, Gov. Bobby Jindal presented the Louisiana Legislature with a proposed budget allocating $10 million for a school choice initiative that would enable parents in New Orleans to send their children to the school of their choice, including private schools, with state-funded scholarships. Leaders of the public school establishment…

The Task Force on Student Financial Aid was formed to recommend ways in which Massachusetts' student aid programs might be modified in light of nationwide trends of rising college costs, reduced availability of federal student assistance, and a decline in the ability of many families to pay for college. The first chapter of the task force report,…

An audit guide to assist independent public accountants in performing audits of federal student financial assistance (SFA) programs is presented. The audit assists the Department of Education in determining whether a recipient has (1) provided financial data, including basic financial statements and other financial reports; (2) maintained a system…

The Pell grant program is the largest federal program for college students, with support to over three million students at more than 6000 institutions. A prominent question in public debate is whether Pell grants tend to be appropriated by universities through increases in tuition--consistent with what is known as the Bennett hypothesis. Based on…

In April 1978, the Commissioner of Education in New York approved a new part 53 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education (to reflect and administer the intent of Section 493A of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended by Public Law 94-482 concerning the dissemination of information to postsecondary students) entitled…

The initial impact of the Middle Income Student Assistance Act (MISAA) was analyzed by comparing student aid recipients and student aid packaging before and after the passage of the Act. Student aid records from a national sample of aid recipients attending independent colleges and universities from 1978-79 through 1979-80 were assessed. In…

Proposed budget cuts by the Reagan Administration that will directly affect the financial aid programs at the University of Delaware are examined, along with the anticipated impacts of the cuts. The programs specifically slated for reduction in both funds and the number of students who will be eligible to participate in 1981-82 include the…

The verification of application data for the Pell Grant Program was conducted by the Office of Student Financial Assistance at Kansas State University. The study indicated that from an institutional standpoint the federally required validation has led to increased Pell Grant eligibility. (MLW)