With the notable shift from grants to loans over the past several decades, many researchers have argued the positive impact of financial aid on student college choice, enrollment, and persistence. However, literature indicates that students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to take loans to finance postsecondary education…

The impact of financial aid in helping a student stay in college is examined from data collected in 1972 from students who entered college in 1968. The findings include: (1) Students, especially men, who rely on loans for support during college increase their chances of dropping out. (2) Students who rely on scholarships or grants increase their…

The significant role of the federal government in the support of higher education is noted in a survey of the development and changing patterns of federal support, and a critical review of the directions of current federal policy is offered. Implications are drawn about the effects of this policy on such national concerns as providing equal…

Various aspects of tax allowances for the expenses of higher education, and alternative subsidies are analyzed. A tax allowance for education is presented as one way to give more financial relief to middle-income families. The current distribution of student aid among income groups is discussed and data on college enrollment rates, family incomes,…

The impact of the Middle Income Student Assistance Act (MISAA) program was evaluated through analysis of financial aid to cohorts of students before and after MISAA, a longitudinal examination of a sample of students before and after its enactment, and a macro-level analysis of the effect of MISAA on the relationship between income and aid. The…

The ways middle-income families pay for college are examined, based on a national survey of student aid recipients, especially traditional undergraduate dependent students. Information is provided on the mix between loans, grants, work, and family contribution, as well as the relationship between federal, state, and college-sponsored aid. Examples…

The initial impact of the Middle Income Student Assistance Act (MISAA) was analyzed by comparing student aid recipients and student aid packaging before and after the passage of the Act. Student aid records from a national sample of aid recipients attending independent colleges and universities from 1978-79 through 1979-80 were assessed. In…

Questions have been raised concerning the function served by each of the federal need-based student aid programs and the relationship between them: Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG), Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), College Work-Study (CWS), and National Direct Student Loan (NDSL). Analysis of the student aid packages…

The estimated percentage of full-time undergraduates who received aid in fall 1984 is reported, along with the total amount they received, the distribution of aided students by families' income level, and the composition of aid packages. Information is also provided on student debt, the use of special tuition plans, and how student employment…