During the past five years, postsecondary student assistance programs administered by the Office of Education have enabled an estimated nine million students to receive a postsecondary education who might otherwise have been unable to do so. These programs include the Federally Insured Student Loan program, the National Direct Student Loan program, the College Work-Study program, and the Basic and Supplemental Educational Opportunity programs, all established by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended in 1972. Recently, the Federal government has favored a policy of increased reliance on state agencies to provide improved postsecondary student consumer protection in the operation of the financial aid programs (with regard to institutional practices and occasional instances of impropriety or educational malpractice). The major purpose of the study outlined will be to provide an accurate appraisal of the current status of state authorization and oversight of the programs, especially as these provide institutions with eligibility to participate in them. (Author/MSE)