This nation's federal student-loan system has reached a tipping point that, with the new leadership in Washington, offers a rare opportunity to create real change. To create a more consumer-focused student-loan program with both public and private capital, the Education Department, lenders, colleges in both programs, guarantors, and others should…

President Obama's 2010 budget proposals include exciting news for those concerned with increasing educational opportunities. The urgency of the economic crisis and the clear commitment of the administration and Congress to make college more affordable provide the perfect opportunity for those in higher education to update their approach to…

One does not need to be an expert on student aid to recognize that the current loan system is complex, sometimes inefficient, and highly politicized. When it comes to financing a college education, there is no "one-stop shopping." Students and their parents have a multitude of lenders to choose from, including federal and state governments and…

The troubled student-loan market is a hot topic among legislators, policy makers, and the public. Two recurring issues are how to ensure that enough funds are available to students and how to ensure that lenders are fully repaid. Yet despite all the talk about loans, little has been proposed to help college students and their families with the…

This report lists recommendations approved by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) for reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and is intended to be submitted to U.S. Congressional hearings scheduled for fall 1997. It covers nine major areas: (1) grant-loan imbalances; (2) level playing field loan issues;…

A journalist and college instructor who attended college on a Pell Grant recounts her escape from poverty through education. She notes shifts in public policy toward financial aid through loans and tax credits rather than grants, but urges that the Pell Grant program be restored to the level of assistance provided youth from economically deprived…

This paper requests comments by January 21, 1997 concerning a new application process for students applying for federal financial aid and a listing of need analysis issues concerning student aid to be considered as part of the reauthorization process for the Higher Education Act. Several possible viewpoints concerning need analysis and delivery…

A review of the history of regulation in federal student financial aid programs indicates dramatic change and growth in the last three decades. Regulations of particular importance to aid administrators are highlighted, and two conclusions about recurring concern for the deservedness of aid recipients are drawn. (Author/MSE)

The investigation of New York State's attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, into the questionable practices of lenders in federal student-loan programs has helped raise public awareness of one of the greatest scams in our government: The Federal Family Education Loan program, otherwise known as the guaranteed-student-loan program, is unnecessarily…

The current system of financial aid is reviewed. It is noted that higher education is now more accessible to more people, but at a great cost in terms of both money and values, since the middle class is reluctant to make financial sacrifices for its children. Specific grant and loan programs are reported. (LBH)

The issues, problems, and prospects of federal student aid are addressed in three papers and an introduction. In the introduction, David W. Breneman considers implications of the Middle Income Student Assistance Act and developments that raise questions about the foundation of student aid programs. In "Why Strains on Need-Based Financial Aid…

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…

One institution's several years' experience with the Department of Education's Quality Control Project, which is attempting to ascertain the value of student financial-aid application-verification efforts, is summarized and commented on. (Author/MSE)

In response to Fischer (HE 527 626), the author considers a proposal to simplify need analysis in Pell grants and other federal need-based student aid as having merit but threatening serious financial harm to many current Pell grant recipients and their institutions. It is argued that focus on budgetary advantages ignores potential dislocations…

In response to Fischer (HE 527 626), the author considers a proposal to simplify and unify need analysis in Pell grants and other federal need-based student aid as appropriate. It is also argued that a single need analysis is needed because the complexity of the existing systems is a barrier to achieving the programs' central goal. (MSE)