The beneficiaries of state grant programs, the amount of aid students receive, and policies that affect the utility of aid are considered, based on the 1982-1983 report of the National Association of State Scholarship and Grant Programs. For both need-based and non-need-based programs, attention is directed to eligibility criteria for students,…

Student aid records from a national sample of aid recipients attending independent colleges and universities with enrollments of more than 500 students were evaluated. It was found that recent reductions in federal student assistance and restrictions placed on program eligibility reduced substantially the number and proportion of low-income…

This report analyzes key student financial aid need issues in preparation for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The issues discussed in the report were chosen by the College Scholarship Service's Council Committee on Standards of Ability to Pay, for discussion at the College Board's Regional Assemblies. The issues include: (1)…

Stage Two of the Title IV Quality Control Project represents an integrated study of quality in five related Federal financial aid programs for postsecondary students. An introductory chapter of this volume on procedures and methods presents the major objectives of Stage Two and discusses them in the context of previous related quality control…

The need for advance planning to finance college studies is addressed. It is suggested that financial aid officers should stop thinking about this year's family income and current assets as a pool of resources to be tapped to pay for this year's parental contribution to college costs. Instead, income and assets might be viewed as indicators of a…

The definition of independent student that is used in determining eligibility for federal student financial aid is examined, along with potential compliance problems for independent students and differential treatment of independent and dependent students. Major factors for defining independence for students receiving federal financial aid are:…

The amount of earnings by dependent college students with unmet financial need was assessed in 1983-1984, along with the extent to which student earnings reduce or eliminate unmet need. Aggregated data on imbalances among costs, resources (including expected parent contributions and student earnings), and financial aid were examined for full-time…

The evolution of student financial aid and current trends of increasing college costs and decreased federal aid are discussed. The objective of removing barriers to opportunity has resulted in the award of aid according to some measure of student and family need. While the need-based approach originated and evolved within the educational…

Information on sources of student financial aid for the 1985-1986 academic year is provided, along with an overview of need analysis in general, and the American College Testing Program (ACT) system. This guide, which is designed for counselors, provides answers to more than 100 frequently-asked questions about financial aid, and a description of…

The institutional programmatic and workload factors that have influential effects on the costs of administering the student financial aid (SFA) service were studied, based on a survey of 51 public universities. Thirty-two of the sample were chosen due to their similarities with the University of Florida, and the remaining were members of the…

Details and policy implications of proposals concerning tuition tax credits, tax allowances, and vouchers for private colleges and universities are considered. Several formulas for tuition tax credits are tested to determine whether a tuition tax credit can be both cost-sensitive and need-sensitive. Advantages and disadvantages of tax saving plans…

Complaints about a middle income family's hardships in sending their children to private colleges and universities are examined. The difficulty may be attributable to a progressive College Scholarship Service (CSS) taxation rate schedule that causes larger proportionate reductions in the standard of living for some families than others.…

This CD-ROM contains 21 of 36 lessons in the SFA COACH curriculum for financial aid professionals. SFA COACH is a computer-based introductory training course covering all major student financial aid (SFA) topics. It is organized around the functions carried out in school aid offices and the people who perform them. It is designed to give new staff…

Discusses federal student financial aid, focusing on direct grant aid programs that serve needy students attending community colleges. Presents recent data showing that lower-income students attending community colleges are likely to receive less direct grant aid than those attending for-profit proprietary two-year institutions. (Contains 26…

The chairman of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators talks to secondary school counselors about trends in financial aid to low-income students. He notes that technology, increasing regulations, and decreasing government funds have changed the face of financial aid. He urges continued dialogue with college and financial…