Emerging regulations require higher education financial aid staff to handle many tasks. Complying with these regulations and participating in mandated compliance audits are complex processes that require numerous departments to work in concert. This article discusses what steps colleges and universities can take to improve their compliance audits.…

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) convened the Examining Software Providers' Compliance With the NASFAA Code of Conduct Working Group in September 2019 to research and analyze the role that student financial aid management software plays in institutions' ability to provide accurate and clear aid offers. The…

We explore the role of defaults and choice architecture on student loan decision-making, experimentally testing the impact pre-populating either decline or accept decisions compared to an active choice, no pre-population, decision. We demonstrate that the default choice presented does influence student loan borrowing decisions. Specifically,…

The objective of the audit was to determine if Remington College used the Student Aid (Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.425E) and Institutional (ALN 84.425F) portions of its Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant funds for allowable and intended purposes. The audit covered Remington College's use of HEERF funds from the grant award…

This study aims to develop a list of technological enhancements to a financial aid analytics application (F3A) designed to assist higher education leaders in gaining actionable insights for decision-making with grants optimization. This research utilizes the Design Science Research framework which highlights the design and evaluation of an IT…

This Survey analyses the current actual expenses incurred by students on the meals and accommodation within and around the campuses. The study was geared towards achieving the following objectives: (i) to examine the current cost incurred by a students for meals In Campus, (ii) to examine the current cost incurred by a students for accommodation…

The cost of students' loans defaulting has lead to a serious discussion among participants. Substantial attention has been made on the students' loans and its impact on higher education finances while researches on students' loans defaults have not been taken for more than a decade. Therefore this study examines the influence of student loans…

"Career Interests and Education Choices: It's My Plan!" will help students discover their interests and abilities. By learning about themselves, "It's My Plan!" will help students match their characteristics to career options and postsecondary education choices. "It's My Plan!" has four lessons: (1) Getting to Know Yourself; (2) Determine a Career…

In this study, the authors examined the impact of two interventions related to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on postsecondary outcomes of low- to moderate-income individuals. The two interventions were included: (1) providing an estimate of need-based aid compared against tuition costs for nearby colleges and assistance in…

Standard spreadsheet functions cannot compute bond yields if both the settlement and maturity dates fall on other than an interest payment date. Using reciprocal cell references, the RATE function is enhanced to overcome this limitation. An appendix extends the enhancement procedure to the IRR function. The procedure demonstrated has applications…

This training manual introduces "Quality Analysis for Windows: A Verification Tool," personal computer software developed by the U.S. Department of Education to assist institutions of higher education in increasing the accuracy of student financial aid awards, improving campus verification procedures, and enhancing management…

This testimony discusses the risks faced by the U.S. Department of Education due to the year 2000 (Y2K) computing crisis, focusing on student financial aid systems, the actions the Department has taken in recent months to address these risks, and the key issues the Department must deal with if its computer systems are to be ready for the century…

This monograph provides guidance to financial aid administrators in navigating the waters of computer systems selection and implementation. It outlines the various areas where aid officers rely on computer assistance and discusses technology-driven personnel issues, institution-wide system integration, and emerging technologies that will affect…

The materials in this College Planning Guide support a 40-50 minute general college planning presentation. It is most effective when delivered to high school juniors (and their parents) in the spring. It can also be used in the fall with seniors or with sophomores and their parents who desire an overview of the college planning process. The…

This participant's guide is intended to be used in a one-day workshop for college/university staff on changes in requirements for schools disbursing federally supported student financial aid under the reauthorized Higher Education Act. The materials are in a workbook format and include copies of workshop display materials, space for notes, case…