Despite substantial investments in financial aid programs, the available aid often falls short of covering the total cost of attendance (Hanson, 2023). Today, college expenses represent 30% of the annual median family income, pushing many students to rely on loans to finance their education (US Census Bureau, 2023). Among student loan borrowers,…

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) embarked on a yearlong effort to identify and examine ways to make financial aid research more relevant to financial aid practitioners. To inform their recommendations, they surveyed NASFAA members, reviewed the…

Education Indicators in Focus is a recurring series of briefs that highlight specific indicators in OECD's Education at a Glance that are of particular interest to policy makers and practitioners. They provide a detailed look into current issues in pre-primary, primary and secondary education, higher education, and adult outcomes from a global…

This report serves as a comprehensive resource of accurate and timely indicators of higher education performance in Minnesota. This report provides historical and national comparisons to contextualize state data. "Minnesota Measures" also offers Minnesota postsecondary peer institution comparisons. As possible, indicators are…

The Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Federal Work-Study (FWS) programs are called "campus-based" programs because each school is responsible for administering them on its own campus. This volume gives guidance on issues specific to the administration of the campus-based programs.…

This report presents findings based on 2,303 responses to a survey of 2,723 institutions participating in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program. The survey was conducted to establish a baseline comparison group for analyses of differences in aspects of loan program administration between the Direct Loan (DL) and FFEL programs, including…

This report highlights the findings of case study visits to 15 postsecondary institutions participating, or planning to participate in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loan Program. Schools were asked to describe the implementation and administration processes of the program, to describe the school's workload under the Direct Loan…

This directory lists changes to the list of the low-income schools at which teachers with loans from the Federal Perkins Loan and national Direct Student Loan programs can have a portion of their loans canceled for each year of teaching service. A list of state agency contact persons precedes the main body of the directory. Listings are…

This 6-page pamphlet shares what the Student Financial Assistance (SFA) Office of the Ombudsman has learned from cases it has handled. An initial section offers information on the case management process, noting that the ombudsman process depends on the case's complexity and that many are revolved quickly. Next, it examines customer-reported case…

The Federal Pell Grant Program provides grants to undergraduate students who have financial need and meet the other requirements for Federal Student Aid. Schools do not have to make decisions about who gets Pell funds or how much they receive. The Department of Education pays Pell funds to all eligible students, and formulas determine how much…

This publication is intended to help postsecondary schools understand FY 1999 draft cohort default rate data. It explains how the Department of Education calculates cohort default rates, the effect of cohort default rates, and how to read the cohort default rate loan record detail reports. Also, it reviews electronic reports available from the…

This guide is designed to assist schools with their Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL) and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program cohort default rate. The guide is a reference tool in understanding cohort default rates and processes. This guide incorporates two former guides, the "Draft Cohort Default Rate…

The means by which students can discharge loan obligations through bankruptcy are reviewed, and issues and procedures for the institution-creditor to consider are presented. (MSE)

A new service, TransferTrack, was developed by the National Student Loan Clearinghouse, that will enable postsecondary educational institutions to identify which of their former students have subsequently re-enrolled at other institutions and the identity of such institutions. This system will allow institutions to comply more easily with the…

Intended for financial aid counselors, this document provides guidelines to the Federal Direct Consolidation Loan Program for borrowers who are in school, as well as those in repayment, or in default. An introductory section explains the basics of the consolidated loan program, loan categories, and interest rates. Next, standards for borrower…