The study aimed at investigating the experiences of graduate students who experience, for the first-time, cost-sharing policies in Saudi public universities. The study used the explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, involving a two-phase data collection. First, quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire administered to…

Over the last 3 decades, the Direct Loan program has grown in size and complexity, with over $1.3 trillion in outstanding loans as of September 2023. This program provides financial assistance to help students and their parents pay for postsecondary education. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review issues related to…

When the federal government banned incarcerated students from accessing Pell Grants in the mid-1990s, a new model for supporting Higher Education in Prison (HEP) programs emerged--utilizing Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) as third-party facilitators to fill the gaps left behind in the absence of federal financial aid. With the long-awaited…

Earlier this year, Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) introduced the College Cost Reduction Act (CCRA), a bill to reform higher education grant and loan programs and to establish new accountability rules for colleges. A key part of the bill would replace the myriad income-driven repayment (IDR) plans for federal student loans, including the Biden…

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), previously named the Veterans Administration, has been providing veterans educational assistance benefits, including GI Bill benefits, since 1944. The benefits have been intended, at various times, to compensate for compulsory service, encourage voluntary service, prevent unemployment, provide…

On March 27, 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) in response to the public health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Under the CARES Act, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) suspended collections and interest charged on Department-held student loans beginning in March 2020. On…

Federal Student Aid Programs act as equalizers by removing income inequity as a barrier to college access and outcomes. However, the need-based aid morphs into merit-based at the end of the first year, as students must meet progression benchmarks to remain eligible for federal financial aid. The study examined Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)…

This study examined the role of a state need-based financial aid policy in Latina/o high school students' meaning making of postsecondary access. Utilizing narrative research, the analytical focus on the meaning making uncovered patterns of individual agency in the journeys of eight Latina/o high school students who were recent enrollees in the…

This report describes the need analysis formulas used to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for federal student aid applicants. The formulas are codified in Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA), as amended. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the data collection instrument through which students submit the…

Paying for college is often a family affair, with both parents and students contributing. We study the effects of college on family finances using administrative data on the universe of federal aid applicants in California linked to credit records. We provide the first comprehensive analysis of how both students and their parents use debt with…

The Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) program was designed to meet the unique needs of the State of Tennessee, while also incorporating the hallmark elements of existing merit-based aid programs in other states. This manuscript provides a snapshot of TELS recipients and their outcomes, including narrative discussion on the current…

The affordability gap between college costs and available financial resources was a barrier to college access before COVID-19, but the pandemic deepened basic-needs insecurity and highlighted unmet need--the shortfall between students' total costs and the funds available to them through grants or family support. The Higher Education Emergency…

This comparative case study analysis explores higher education equity in South Africa and Australia, garnering insights from South Africa to inform the implementation of the Australian Universities Accord. This article identifies challenges and opportunities from South Africa that may assist with implementing the managed growth policy framework…

A wealth of evidence indicates that financial aid is positively associated with retention and graduation rates among college students attending in-person courses. However, limited research exists on the relation between financial aid, retention, and graduation rates among undergraduate students earning online degrees. The purpose of this study was…

A government-established student loans institute known as Instituto Colombiano de Credito Educativo y Estudios Tecnicos en el Exterior (ICETEX) has been instrumental in improving access to higher education in Colombia. This article uses the capability approach to analyze the ways in which ICETEX has contributed to loan recipients' well-being and…