This report contains the testimony of Preston Cooper, a senior fellow focusing on the economics of higher education at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), to the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies concerning the federal role in postsecondary education, and the…

The history of federal student financial aid legislation, 1965-1985, is traced, and problems faced in the mid-1980s, and possible future directions are considered. The Higher Education Act of 1965 was the first explicit federal commitment to equalizing college opportunities for needy students through grants and programs such as Talent Search. Some…

Policy modifications by postsecondary, business, and banking institutions are suggested to make small loans readily available to adult learners for higher education. The author focuses on middle-income adult students with an interest in career mobility in examining existing student loan programs, deferred tuition plans, and adult repayment rates.…

Congress will consider reauthorization of the Higher Education Act this summer. From our changing population will emerge the leaders of tomorrow. They are too important a resource to relegate to second-class citizenship because of a lack of access to education caused by inadequate federal support for financial aid. (MLW)

Proposed changes in student financial aid for fiscal year (FY) 1986 and their likely effects on higher education are discussed. The Reagan Administration's FY 1986 budget recommends a 25% cut for higher education, or $2.3 billion below the adjusted FY 1985 level of $8.8 billion. All but $100 million of the cuts would come from student aid, and…

The merits of providing more loan opportunities to parents and students and the implications of this growing reliance on borrowing are considered. The objective is to clarify the alternative federal aid approaches that will be discussed as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Federally-sponsored loan programs include Guaranteed…

The annual survey by the College Board of student financial aid traces development of a system that has grown dramatically, is now dominated by federal student loan programs, and has undergone a long-term shift in purpose from creating access for the disadvantaged to broadening choice and convenience for the middle class. These developments have…

The current system of financial aid is reviewed. It is noted that higher education is now more accessible to more people, but at a great cost in terms of both money and values, since the middle class is reluctant to make financial sacrifices for its children. Specific grant and loan programs are reported. (LBH)

The issues, problems, and prospects of federal student aid are addressed in three papers and an introduction. In the introduction, David W. Breneman considers implications of the Middle Income Student Assistance Act and developments that raise questions about the foundation of student aid programs. In "Why Strains on Need-Based Financial Aid…

The Republican proposal to cut the federal student loan program is examined, and some of the other challenges and changes likely to be faced by higher education due to Republican politics are outlined, including appropriations for discretionary programs, welfare and immigration reform, social and economic policy issues affecting the middle class,…