Financial literacy refers to the ability to make informed judgements and to take effective decisions regarding the use and management of money. A baseline survey carried out by the Financial Services Agency (FSA) in 2006 highlighted many issues: (1) 29% of 16-4-year-olds said they would not know how to prepare and manage a weekly budget; (2) 19%…

A well-run college or university will seek to accumulate and maintain an appropriate cash reserve or liquidity position. A rigorous analytic process for estimating the size and cost of a liquidity position, based on judgments about the institution's operating risks and opportunities, is outlined. (MSE)

In this interest market, colleges and universities could benefit from careful evaluation of debt portfolios. Refinancing debt is an opportunity to lower debt service costs, ease cash flow, change security pledges, eliminate debt service reserves, update bond documents. Timing is important. Existing and new bonds can also be combined…

Faced with deteriorating physical plants, a need for new facilities, and a shortage of financial aid funds, colleges and universities have become players in a debt-financing game, which can hasten the organization's demise. The board must ensure that today's securities do not become tomorrow's junk bonds. (Author/MSE)

This guide is intended to help school financial aid administrators meet the requirement that they provide in-person exit counseling to borrowers of Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans (direct subsidized) and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loans (direct unsubsidized). The guide is intended to be used with a companion video and a guide for…

Increasingly, colleges and universities are using debt financing to respond quickly to new needs and for capital initiatives that will produce long-term benefits. The borrowing process is complex and subject to a variety of government tax regulations and legal limits. Recommends that both small and large institutions work with an experienced…

Information on managing debts acquired by St. John's University undergraduate students is provided. The cost of education for an undergraduate student includes tuition, fees, books, home maintenance, personal expenses, and transportation. Student budgets for 1984-1985 and 1985-1986 (estimated) are provided by students' dependency status (dependent…

Information on managing debt acquired by St. John's University graduate students is provided. The cost of education for a graduate student includes tuition, fees, books, home maintenance, personal expenses, and transportation. Student budgets for 1984-1985 and 1985-1986 (estimated) are provided by students' dependency status (dependent 9 months,…

Information on managing debt acquired by St. John's University law students is provided. The cost of education for a graduate student includes tuition, fees, books, home maintenance, personal expenses, and transportation. A student budget for 1984-1985 is provided by students' dependency status (dependent 9 months, 9-month residency/dependent, and…

A discussion of debt burden, particularly for college students and graduates, looks at recent research, discusses borrower perceptions of debt burdens and excessive debt, analyzes debt-to-income ratios, and synthesizes these ideas into a universal model. Data from a 1990 state survey of borrowers by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission.…

It is more important than ever for colleges and universities to manage the resources they have and guard against unnecessary loss. Student bad debt is one loss that can be resolved. A study identified certain predictors of student bad debt, including academic indicators and student characteristics, and offers suggestions to institutions for…

An approach to evaluating debt capacity for capital spending, designed for a midsize independent institution of higher education with a solid enrollment base, is outlined. Factors in determining and assessing debt capacity ratios are discussed. It is suggested that the analysis be projected over a three-year period to provide a consistent basis…

A regional survey of 1,442 student loan borrowers currently in repayment (nondefaulting, high debt/low income nondefaulters, and prior defaulters) investigated attitudes toward student loan debt. Results revealed those with greater debt perceive it as more burdensome, but debt level has little impact on consumption patterns. (Author/MSE)

Outlines an approach to better collection of delinquent college tuition that connects students with outstanding tuition to lenders. Suggests criteria for selecting an appropriate lender, and highlights benefits both for student motivation to repay debts and for institutional cash flow. (MSE)

This survey concludes that, overall, student debt has not caused most borrowers to make lifestyles changes nor regret their educational investment. Discussion analyzes borrower debt levels; payment-to-income and debt-to-income ratios; noneducation debt burden; student perceptions about borrowing and debt; effect of borrowing on decision making;…