In January, 2015, the President unveiled the America's College Promise proposal, which would make two years of community college free for responsible students, letting students earn the first half of a bachelor's degree and earn skills needed in the workforce at no cost. This proposal will require everyone to do their part: community colleges must…

The Office of Management and Budget requested that the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) oversee an independent impact evaluation of the federal Student Mentoring Program, and in 2005 IES contracted with Abt Associates and its team of subcontractors (Branch Associates, Moore and Associates, and the Center for Resource Management) to conduct…

Argues that government programs and regulations have hampered the effectiveness of public education, that efforts to involve parents and students in the running of schools have not resulted in democratic governance, and that giving adult rights to adolescents has created an imbalance of authority. Offers suggestions for correcting the imbalances.…

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has undertaken a general program development activity in the area of student rights and responsibilities. In August 1973 a committee of professional educators was appointed to develop guidelines for the Student Rights and Responsibilities Program. During December 1973 and January 1974, the draft of the guidelines…

In recent years, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has had to re-examine its position regarding the current legal status of youth attending school. Court actions, although still indecisive on this point, precede a new era of school-student relationships which the BIA's Office of Indian Education Programs holds will assure improved conditions for…

This report examines how the Department of Education calculates the default rate for two federal student loan programs--the Federal Family Education Loan program (FFELP) and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP). The report focuses on three questions regarding these programs: (1) whether there has been an increase in the number of…

This guide for student first-time borrowers presents the basic facts about subsidized Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loans. Components of the guide include: (1) a section providing such information as amounts that can be borrowed, interest rates, loan fees, the various repayment plans, and loan…

A proposed change in federal student loan policy from providing loans through lending institutions to providing loans directly to students is of enormous importance to higher education, with major implications for colleges and universities. There are powerful arguments pro and con. Institutions must ensure they and policymakers understand the…

This guide is designed to help school financial aid administrators provide effective entrance counseling for first-time student borrowers of subsidized Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loans. A section on what is required for entrance counseling specifies both regulatory requirements and the…

Student rights encompass all specific rights which the courts recognize as being vested in students. These may be derived from applicable Federal, State, and/or local laws, including school regulations. On June 22, 1973, an ad hoc committee (50 percent American Indian) was convened in Albuquerque, New Mexico to review a special report form…

A discussion of the problem of student loan defaults places the issue in the context of loan program history and current federal policy. It argues that the situation is more complex than some public officials admit, and that short-term solutions will not effectively address the long-term problem. (MSE)

It is the peculiar genius of the United States that everyone bears some responsibility for higher education: parents, students, state and federal governments, alumni, business, and philanthropists. In deciding each partner's share of the cost, it must be remembered that what one partner saves must be paid by someone else. (Author/MSE)

Four aspects of the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) Program are compared with credit policies on other loans made by consumer installment lenders. The four aspects are: (1) the planning, screening, monitoring, collecting, and write-off policies on GSLs versus uninsured loans; (2) the importance of the Student Loan Marketing Association in providing…

The 1980s saw renewed emphasis on parental and student responsibility for financing college, as federal aid programs and family income lagged behind costs. These shifting burdens occurred largely without design. More explicit attention should be given to how responsibility is distributed and assuring support mechanisms are adequate. (Author/MSE)

A report on the Guaranteed Student Loan Amendments (H.R. 14070) to Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 considers the problems behind and implications of the loan program. Chief among the problems are the default rate, access to loans, the schools as lenders, and the role of the states in administering the program. Changes recommended…