A discussion of state grant programs for college students outlines the relationships between program goals and effects and the difficulties in designing appropriate and successful programs. Guidelines for assessing these interrelationships are offered to help policymakers design grant programs that can most efficiently and effectively achieve…

Analysis of the income-contingent repayment mechanism of the federal direct lending program suggests that it will be considerably more expensive than other repayment options in total interest costs for many; lead to hefty tax liabilities for some; be administratively cumbersome, vulnerable to fraud and abuse, and costly to taxpayers; and invite…

This article describes what is known from prior research about the impact of student financial aid program design, operations, and marketing on the formation of family (including parents' and children's) college-going aspirations, expectations, and plans, and the resulting college-going behaviors of potential students. The review focuses on the…