The postsecondary transition has become more challenging for high school students in the United States. Secondary students in grades 9 through 12 are often in schools that focus on developing the skills for college but not on the skills to enter the workforce. Developing skills for the workforce has been associated with higher levels of…

Five years ago, the Louisiana Board of Regents adopted "Louisiana Prospers," its Master Plan for Higher Education, setting an audacious goal to support economic growth and strengthen quality of life in the state by increasing the percentage of Louisiana's working-age population (ages 25-64) with a credential of value beyond high school…

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) consistently dedicates significant resources to the oversight of Federal student assistance programs programs due to the risks associated with their complexity, high levels of funding, large numbers of program participants, and reliance on contractors. Through the office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), the U.S.…

"Casualties of College Debt" uses the latest federal data on delinquency and default to better understand who student loan defaulters are, explores key themes of who defaults and why that emerged across over 20 in-depth conversations with a diverse group of experts, and lifts up the lived experience of default through voices of borrowers…

Federal financial aid policies for higher education may be classified based on their "for-purchase" and "post-purchase" natures. The former include grants, loans, and workstudy and intend to help students finance or afford college attendance, persistence, and graduation. Post-purchase policies are designed to minimize financial…

Although education abroad in the US offers participants demonstrable benefits, direct and opportunity costs are cited as primary barriers to broader participation. Yet the degree to which low-income status deters studying abroad and whether additional need-based aid beyond Pell Grants encourages participation remain uncertain. Moreover, not all…

This mixed research study focused on the selection criterion and guidelines used by the Higher Education Students Financing Board (HESFB) in granting students loan scheme to University Students in Uganda with a sample from Makerere University. Findings revealed that the majority of the loan beneficiaries are aware of these guidelines and one to…

Social class on campus is omnipresent, with higher education institutions largely geared towards middle- and upper-class students. The social class contrast can be particularly poignant in the residence halls, where choice of hall and room type, personal possessions, and cocurricular involvement can all indicate one's class background.…

Numerous eligible German students do not apply for heavily subsidized student aid (BAföG). Our theoretical model shows how imperfect information, risk aversion, debt aversion, and student income can incentivize rational students to abstain from an application. We use GSOEP data from 2001 to 2013 to simulate BAföG eligibility and find that in…

Over the last three decades, the Direct Loan program has grown in size and complexity, with almost $1.4 trillion in outstanding federal student loans. The Direct Loan program provides financial assistance to students and their parents to help pay for postsecondary education. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review changes…

Outstanding federal student loan debt exceeds $1.6 trillion and is owed by approximately 45 million borrowers. Thus, a policy to broadly cancel federal student loan debt would directly apply to a discrete segment of the U.S. population. Cancelling some amount of federal student loan debt would alleviate loan repayment burdens for qualifying…

This study examined Latinx and undocumented students' tuition assignment and financial aid packages at public colleges and universities across the United States of America. Descriptive non-experimental research design was used to test nine sets of hypotheses to answer three research questions on: the relationship between college tuition assignment…

This basic qualitative study investigated adult learners aged 35 and older and their experiences with situational, dispositional, and institutional barriers while enrolled in a Midwestern community college. Although numerous studies have examined adult learners in higher education, the purpose of this study was to investigate barriers adult…

Understanding the link between financial aid and college attainment is particularly important for the Federal Pell Grant program, the nation's largest financial aid program. Many studies have shown that the Pell Grant program increases retention, persistence, and graduation rates for undergraduate students (Castleman & Long, 2016; Evans &…

In this report, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) seeks to fill the gaps in the conversation by providing thoughtful, systemic, and targeted policy solutions to address underlying flaws in the student loan repayment and servicing systems that lead borrowers into financial hardship. The report outlines…