A growing share of high school graduates have enrolled in college over the past three decades, a positive trend driven primarily by enrollment increases amongst students from low- and moderate-income families. At the same time, the net cost of college has increased significantly--for a population that is now less able to afford those…

Education estimates 430,000 new teachers will be needed by 2020. It administers three programs that may help attract and retain qualified teachers by helping them finance their education. However, little is known about the efficacy of these programs. GAO was asked to examine the TEACH Grant and two loan forgiveness programs. This report examines…

As of September 2013 about $94 billion--over 11 percent of federal student loan volume in repayment--was in default. Loan rehabilitation allows borrowers who make nine on-time monthly payments within 10 months to have the default removed from their credit reports. Department of Education (Education) contracts with collection agencies to assist…

This report reviews the use of loans for learning in 33 European countries and analyses the schemes in eight selected Member States: France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Finland, Sweden and the UK. The analysis shows that loan schemes vary considerably across Europe in terms of types and levels of learning covered, conditions of…

A study was done of how interest rate floors on certain guaranteed student loans affect the federal government's and students' costs when rates on short-term government securities decline. The study developed cost comparisons using fixed and variable loan interest rates. For comparison Department of Education projections of loan volumes for fiscal…

A study was done to determine the extent of and reasons for the Department of Education's delayed receipt of origination fees for Stafford Student Loans, and actions needed to facilitate the prompt receipt of the fees. The fees help offset the federal governments' multibillion-dollar cost of subsidizing the Stafford Student Loan Programs. There…

This report describes progress in addressing problems identified earlier in the process of consolidating student loans under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP) or the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). Consolidation loans allow borrowers to extend their repayment periods and may combine loans under either or both…

The Hong Kong system of student loans for higher education has worked efficiently since 1969. Many factors in its success are location-specific, but other governments may both learn from and contribute to the Hong Kong experience. (MSE)

A study at California State University, Fresno investigated the relationship between Perkins' Loan recipients' (n=429) credit records, loan default rates, and age. For eight different age groups, credit checks revealed student distribution in four credit categories. Results show credit checks could have saved the program a great deal of money.…

This article summarizes the current pattern of finance of higher education in Ghana, gives a brief history of student loans in Ghana, and describes a new program, which is administered by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust and is expected to result in a higher rate of loan repayment. (Author/DB)

This survey comprised of two volumes of the first year of implementation of the Federal Direct Loan Program among institutions of the first cohort was designed to assess institutions' experiences in transition to the new program and their satisfaction with the program overall. Results included: (1) the overall level of schools' satisfaction with…

The financing of guarantee agencies under the U.S. Department of Education's Guaranteed Student Loan Program was reviewed to determine whether, in the aggregate, the agencies are accumulating, retaining, and using reserve funds in accordance with legislative requirements and federal regulations. It was found that reserves exceed the risks…

The University of Oregon's financial aid director describes the success of the Federal Direct Student Loan program in its first year at the institution. No significant program disadvantages were experienced, and its advantages included flexibility of administration, ease of data management with the servicer, decrease in office workload, and…

A review was conducted of methods used by the U.S. Department of Education and by state or private nonprofit loan guarantee agencies to protect the federal government's interest when collecting defaulted student loans under the Guaranteed Student Loan Program. Questionnaires were sent to 58 guarantee agencies that administer the program to…

This study examined satisfaction of approximately 2,200 institutions of higher education that participated in the Federal Direct Loan and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) programs during the 1995-96 academic year. Among major findings were: (1) both Direct Loan and FFEL institutions were satisfied with their programs, although Direct Loan…