The concept of equal educational opportunity in Germany has been limited by traditions of class rigidity and elitism. Faced with inordinate demand for admission, the German response has been to institute a limited admission policy. Generous financial aid and a policy of unlimited time for study have exacerbated admission pressures. (MLW)

Undergraduate financial aid is seen as integral to larger institutional issues and deserving of strategic status in planning. Three areas of student aid--the institution's rationale regarding aid, institutional research, and student strategies for utilizing aid--are addressed from the planning perspective. (Author/JMD)

The development of student consumerism on campus is reviewed and related to student consumer needs with respect to financial aid policies and procedures. Three of these student consumer needs are highlighted: information dissemination, improvement of counseling functions, and protection of student rights. (Author/JMD)

A study is reported that sought to determine the extent of utilization of federal student aid programs at proprietary schools, to assess the role of federal support for needy students enrolled at proprietary schools, and to evaluate the relationship of financial aid to the recruitment and training of students. (JMD)

The gains made by Blacks in higher education are examined. Difficulties Blacks have encountered in achieving admission, proportional representation, and financial support in American colleges and universities are described, and it is predicted that these problems will intensify as the state of the general economy worsens. (GC)

Section 439A of the Education Amendments of 1976 restricts the dischargeability of federal student loans to cases of "undue hardship." The origin, applications, and legal procedures involved in Section 439A and in Section 523(a) of the new Bankruptcy Code are examined and suggestions are made for determining the meaning of "undue…

Notes that reductions in state expenditures for public higher education target programs designed to deliver college education to immigrants. Argues that the faculty teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) must make decisions balancing the needs of their students with university exigencies. The article concludes that ESL students belong on…

Data from a 1997 national survey of 464 two- and four-year colleges and universities concerning freshman characteristics, opinions, activities, and goals are reported. Information includes age, ethnic background, religion, academic record, college distance from home, parent background, college planning and choice, educational goals, career goals,…

Describes shortages of minority teachers in Catholic schools with growing numbers of minority students, compounded by declining minority enrollments in higher education. Calls for strong financial aid programs, a prepared and committed faculty, and institutional support services for minority college students. Argues for a student-centered teaching…

The eight years of Ronald Reagan's presidency have included tremendous economic, social, and political change. Views on those changes in higher education vary. Six stories tell how colleges and Washington's lobbyists and lawmakers have changed in that period. (MLW)

Defaults on guaranteed student loans were examined in a sample of 4,617 students in proprietary vocational schools and community colleges in California. Default rates stemmed largely from students' background characteristics, rather than from characteristics or practices of the institutions they attend. (SLD)

The educational progress of students with different family incomes is analyzed. Three financial aid policies working against dependent students from low-income families are examined: (1) zeroing out calculated negative parental contributions; (2) requiring a minimum self-help expectation from students in this group; and (3) substituting expensive…

Societal issues likely to affect higher and professional education in the near future and how the university can respond are examined. Issues discussed include trends in higher education enrollment, technological advancement, rapidly increasing cultural pluralism in the United States, student aid in a time of retrenchment, and institutional…

The original World War II GI Bill fully subsidized education or job training for 7.8 million veterans, making college a realistic expectation rather than an impossible dream, and enabled millions to move to and develop the suburbs. This caused a true social revolution and fueled the longest economic boom in history. (MSE)

At the outset, few politicians and educators recognized the potential of the GI Bill, calling it unworkable. However, the GI Bill had many positive features and no disadvantages, causing unexpected numbers of veterans to take full advantage of it, creating enrollment and housing surprises for colleges and universities. (MSE)