This guide explains in a question-and-answer format the Federal Direct Consolidation Loan Program, which is part of the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program and is designed to help students and parents manage and repay money borrowed for postsecondary education, usually with just one monthly payment. Advantages of a Direct Consolidation…

This handbook shows how families in various income groups manage to pay for college. The handbook is based on the real experiences of a large number of actual families, as described by national surveys. To find out exactly what it would cost to attend a particular college, the student would have to apply for financial aid, but this guide gives…

Information on financial aid, estimating financial need, managing money, and expenses at over 3,500 colleges is provided. College costs are based on the following: tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and personal expenses. The following financial aid sources are examined; the Pell Grant Program, the Supplemental…

This document provides information on student charges at public 4-year colleges and universities in the United States for the academic year 1996-97. A narrative section of the report discusses: what is included in the cost of college, the most recent cost figures for public institutions, average costs for American Association of State Colleges and…

This paper assesses the likely impact of proposed changes in the Office of Postsecondary Education's method of calculating parental base-year income on determining eligibility for student financial aid. In examining applicant data the study concludes that the change to use of prior, prior year (PPY) income is not a good proxy for the current prior…