The report provides information on the possible impact of revised eligibility requirements on the volume of supplemental loans for students (SLS). These are market-rate loans made to postsecondary students in addition to or in lieu of other financial aid, such as Stafford loans (formerly called guaranteed student loans) and Pell grants. The data…

The General Accounting Office reviewed 18 relevant studies and analyzed existing data from the High School and Beyond Survey of 58,728 students to determine students' and parents' knowledge of federal financial aid for postsecondary education. It was found that students and parents knew very little about financial aid and held erroneous views…

This report outlines the progress and the plans of the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, a group created by the 1986 amendments to the Higher Education Act to strengthen the federal student aid programs to ensure equal opportunity through access to postsecondary education. The report begins with descriptions of the Title IV…

This paper presents an overview of the development of child support in America. A review of the English common law from which U.S. laws evolved provides a glimpse into the ways that institutions of marriage and the family were viewed in the 19th century. The development of American law reflects the transformation of family structure by…

This study analyzes major federal programs designed to provide services to children, from birth through age 2, who have developmental delays or a high probability of developmental delays, and their families. Programs were selected based on their provision of education or health-related services to infants and toddlers with handicaps and their…

An evaluation of the Multiple Wage Earner (MWE) discretionary grant program and Enhanced Skills Training (EST) program developed by the Department of Health and Human Services is reported. The EST program was intended to reach hard-to-employ refugees through improvement of the quality of jobs available to refugees experiencing difficulties…

This publication contains information on 101 federal programs that provide funding to rural projects initiated by local governments, public agencies, tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, citizen groups, and individuals. Eligible local project categories include conservation, farm ownership and operation, housing,…

The background papers contained in this document present preliminary recommendations intended to stimulate discussion of issues to be addressed in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, which since 1965 has delineated federal policies and programs governing student aid and categorical assistance to colleges and universities. The papers…

Information is provided about the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an independent federal agency that supports scholarship, research, education, and public programs in the humanities. The history, purposes, policies, and organization of NEH are briefly described, and two project topics that NEH is funding, are explained. The…

Including all Head Start research (both published and unpublished) and using, when possible, the statistical technique of meta-analysis, this final report of the Head Start Evaluation, Synthesis, and Utilization Project presents findings on the impact of Head Start on children's cognitive and socioemotional development, on child health and health…

This study evaluated the national network of Technical Assistance Centers (TACs), which provides technical assistance in evaluation and program improvement to state and local educational agencies responsible for implementing programs under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA). The U.S. Department of Education…

Lenders' billings for interest subsidy payments under the Department of Education's Guaranteed Student Loan Program (GSLP) are discussed. In fiscal year 1986, the Department of Education paid lenders $2.4 billion in interest subsidies on $39 billion of outstanding Guaranteed Student Loans. The General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed the accounts…

Between the summers of 1986 and 1987, the Coalition on Human Needs interviewed 202 low income people to learn about their experiences with employment, education, their families, and various government programs. The interviewees showed a higher level of participation in the paid labor force than was predicted. According to those interviewed, the…

As a result of a report from the National Commission on Excellence in Education recognizing the crisis in science, math, and technology training, and the increasing need for skilled manpower critical to economic growth and national defense, the federal government has proposed several bills for educational advancement. The President has signed into…

The objective of the Family Support Services Scheme is to find new ways to prevent the breakdown of families and the institutionalization of children. The view taken in this report is that not much progress has been made toward achieving this goal. Criticisms of and recommendations for the scheme include the following: (1) The program attempts to…