In this article, the researchers interrogate the media discourse on the national students financial aid scheme (NSFAS) crisis, as well as how the language used by politicians and students, shaped the decision-making of stakeholders. A qualitative approach was employed to analyse online media articles. Content analysis was used to organise the…

Emerging regulations require higher education financial aid staff to handle many tasks. Complying with these regulations and participating in mandated compliance audits are complex processes that require numerous departments to work in concert. This article discusses what steps colleges and universities can take to improve their compliance audits.…

The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 20 percent of community college students default on their student loan obligations (compared with 14.7 percent of all student loan borrowers), and that number is rising. What can community college financial officers do to keep their default numbers low? In this article, Heather Boerner describes the…

Describes the process of administering grants provided to disadvantaged adults taking a nursing assistant course. Topics include (1) recruitment and screening, (2) coordination of the grant monies, and (3) major accomplishments. (CH)

In almost half of the Department of Education's biennial audits of colleges receiving federal financial aid, institutions are found to have made mistakes in aid distribution, and each year the department asks colleges to return $25-million in aid money. Better oversight methods are urged. (MSE)

Results of a survey of the Western Association of Financial Aid Administrators concerning the prevalence and stringency of validation procedures used in 1985-86 are presented, and the impact and effectiveness of federal verification procedures in offices in that region are discussed. (MSE)

Since 1980 a growing share of student aid costs has passed from government to institutions. The shift is directly tied to changes in the eligibility guidelines governing federal aid programs, and is severely affecting families' efforts to plan for college costs and institutions' ability to make important infrastructure expenditures. (MSE)

Financial aid counseling and outreach programs at the University of California, Davis, are described. Counseling services include: an intake interviewer, student interns, a hot-line program, and drop-in counseling. Workshops, a newsletter, and summer residential programs for low-income and minority groups are among the outreach services. (JMD)

Proposed National Collegiate Athletic Association rule changes address issues of academic standards, financial aid, program administration, association administration, championships and extra events, athlete eligibility, association membership and institutional classification, playing seasons, and aspects of program deregulation. (MSE)

Colleges can and should do much to improve the management of financial aid offices in a time of reduced funds. Exemplary programs provide a framework for improvement, consisting of two key elements: assessment of office management needs based on the overall campus structural development and good basic management procedures. (Author/MSE)

Changes in the payment and reporting procedures of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grants are proposed. Removing the Student Eligibility Report (SER) as a payment device is advocated. The SER is useful as an acknowledgement form to the applicant, a data correction device, and a document to begin validation efforts. (MLW)

Results of a national survey of financial aid officers provides information on current computer capabilities and the status of technological innovation in financial aid office administration. Obstacles to innovation and reasons to innovate were also investigated. (MSE)

The 28 institutions currently sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association for violation of association regulations are listed. For each institution, the specific violations and penalties are noted. Violations are largely in recruitment, financial aid, benefits to athletes, and program administration and penalties are in competition,…

If education is intrinsically about learning to cope with change, encouraging personal growth and self-knowledge, and expanding horizons to encompass the wider world, study abroad ought to be part of the undergraduate experience of every student. Financial aid and academic standards belong at the core of institutional efforts to expand overseas…

As increasing numbers of adults approach postsecondary education, the financial aid community must research specific issues: adult student costs, resources, aid received and aid denied, perceptions of aid offices and services, information needs, expense budgeting, aid packaging, office staffing, and publications needed. (MSE)