There was a lot of talk about both the fate of American democracy and American higher education in 2021, but not much consideration about how the two were deeply intertwined. The 1947 report "Higher Education for American Democracy" showed awareness of how race, sex, class, and religious discrimination thwarted the talents and ambitions…

Perhaps the only form of financial support that cannot be found among more than 400 separate federal legislative provisions bearing on higher education is unrestricted support for such learning, suggests the author. Historical reasons are discussed and specific types of aid programs are described. (LBH)

The background and history of the National Youth Administration's College and Graduate Student Work Program, a post-Depression Work-study program, are discussed. The program is viewed as an early and important step in broadening higher education opportunity in the United States. Appended are texts of the original executive orders creating the…

Hearings on the proposed federal fiscal 1984 budget are presented that focus on proposals for federal student financial assistance. One of the major recommendations of the Reagan administration's budget is to eliminate funding for the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and State Student Incentive Grant programs and to create…

The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 has opened the doors of higher education to millions of academically qualified students. Like most bills that pass Congress, the HEA had resulted from numerous compromises. Congress has had several opportunities to review and modify the legislation over the years, but a solid foundation had been laid in 1965…

Four federal programs were investigated for inconsistencies in awarding financial aid to college students: the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Basic Educational Opportunity Grants, College Work-Study Program, and National Direct Student Loan Program. Their methods for determining student need and their legislative histories are…

The economic state of higher education and the social and political forces that threaten it are examined. College attendance and employment patterns since the 1960's and projected trends for the 1980's are considered. Projections of a shift in employment patterns and a deteriorated market for college graduates are thought to indicate the need for…