In examining national data on Federal Pell Grant eligibility in the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), we were puzzled to discover that many students who appear to have eligible Expected Family Contributions (EFCs) do not receive the award. We use institutional data from a large public university to understand and enumerate changes…

The recent significant increase in student loan delinquencies has generated interest in understanding the key factors predicting the non-performance of these loans. However, despite the large size of the student loan market, existing analyses have been limited by lack of data. This paper studies predictors of student loan delinquencies using a…

The Pittsburgh Promise is a scholarship program that provides $5,000 per year toward college tuition for public high school graduates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who earned a 2.5 GPA and a 90% attendance record. This study used a difference-in-difference design to assess whether the introduction of the Promise scholarship program directly…

This study considers the effect of a state merit-based aid program for undergraduate students on subsequent enrollment in graduate school. It uses student unit record data to analyze the impact of the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES). Price theory is used as a framework for understanding the incentives provided by KEES. Using a…

Using the 2007-2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, this study tested positively the hypothesis that college students are either likely to acquire debt above the national median or work more than 30 hours a week in order to graduate from a four year degree within six years. These results resonate with the theory of academic capitalism,…

Empirical studies exploring the impact of student aid on postsecondary enrollment often stop short of the specific examination of institutional tuition discounting. This research uses separate empirical ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models to examine three questions using public choice theory, positing that enrollment decisions may be…

Default on guaranteed student loans has been increasing. The use of discriminant analysis as a technique to identify "good" v "bad" student loans based on information available from the loan application is discussed. Research to test the ability of models to such predictions is reported. (Author/MLW)

A study that examined the impact of state-funded programs on a potential students' college selection decision and the extent to which other variables influence their decision is discussed. A random sample of recipients of the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) in New York State was used. (MLW)

A study of staffing averages at institutions categorized by numbers of financial aid applicants provides a gauge by which institutions may evaluate staffing levels. The data are intended to be useful to financial aid administrators in evaluating the adequacy of the numbers and types of their staff. (MLW)

The impact of an academic progress policy implemented at Cleveland State University is reviewed and evaluated with a focus on: the methodology used in identifying students affected by the academic progress policy; student characteristics; possible misuse of Title IV funds; and benefits and future of the policy. (MLW)

A study of 89 Basic Educational Opportunity Grants requiring validation disclosed some disheartening data: an overall total understatement of $54,982 in adjusted gross income and a total overstatement of $1,164 paid in U.S. income taxes. This data was compared to the institutional cost of the validation process. (MLW)

A sample of nonpersisting students is compared with persisting counterparts at Pepperdine University in terms of receipt of financial aid, grades awarded, etc. The findings suggest that financial aid is awarded to students with a higher probability of persisting to the end of the term. (LBH)

Educational policy has been directed toward assuring students access to some form of postsecondary education regardless of their financial or socioeconomic circumstances. Trends in enrollments of low-income freshman students are examined. Evidence indicates that college access by low-income students may have reached a plateau. (MLW)

A large survey of postsecondary students in California was used to test the sensitivity of alternate definitions of the independent student population on the number and proportion of independent students, to trace the cost implications of these alternate definitions, and to offer conclusions about the effects of these definitional changes. (MLW)

A study is reported that sought to determine the extent of utilization of federal student aid programs at proprietary schools, to assess the role of federal support for needy students enrolled at proprietary schools, and to evaluate the relationship of financial aid to the recruitment and training of students. (JMD)