The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a complex form completed annually by millions of postsecondary students applying for federal financial aid. Errors frequently require resubmission. It is suggested that cognitive psychology principles that help describe how people understand text and complete forms be applied to a redesigned…

The purpose and direction of the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) quality improvement program are described. The background and context for the Pell Grant quality control (QC) design study and the meaning of QC are reviewed. The general approach to quality improvement consists of the following elements: a strategic approach that enables OSFA…

A preliminary design for a quality control (QC) system for the Pell Grant Program is proposed, based on the needs of the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA). The applicability of the general design for other student aid programs administered by OSFA is also considered. The following steps included in a strategic approach to QC system…

The objectives of the Pell Grant quality control (QC) system and the general definition of QC are considered. Attention is also directed to: the objectives of the Stage II Pell Grant QC system design and testing project, the approach used to develop the QC system, and the interface of the QC system and the Pell Grant delivery system. The…

This report discusses problems reported by lenders participating in the Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP) and the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). The study examined the nature and the source of the problems experienced by the lenders, how they affected lenders, and what steps the Department of Education and Electronic Data Systems…

The Pell Grant Quality Control Study of 1982-83, the third stage of a contract with the Department of Education, was designed to identify program error rate, to measure the impact of increased validation activity, and to propose corrective actions to reduce the misallocation of program funds. A nationally representative sample of approximately…

The Pell Grant Quality Control Study of 1982-83, the third stage of a contract with the Department of Education, was designed to identify program error rate, to measure the impact of increased validation activity, and to propose corrective actions to reduce the misallocation of program funds. A nationally representative sample of approximately…

Edits that can be performed by the processor who applies for federal campus-based student aid programs are discussed, along with a longer-term approach to assessing the efficacy of recommended edit checks. Attention is focused on the accuracy of data submitted by institutions on the application portion of the Fiscal Operations Report and…

The Pell Grant Quality Control Study of 1982-83 was designed to identify program error rate, to measure the impact of increased validation activity, and to propose corrective actions to reduce the misallocation of program funds. A sample of approximately 4,000 students was drawn from a stratified random sample of 317 participating institutions.…

Efforts of the Department of Education (ED) to simplify the Pell Grant formula by reducing the number of data elements used to calculate awards (i.e., data element reduction) are evaluated. A framework is developed to assess the critical characteristics of individual data elements, to eliminate elements from the formula, and to develop proposals…

The type, number, and scope of errors on Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) program applications were estimated in a replication of a 1976-1977 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Comparison Study. Information reported on BEOG applicants and IRS income tax returns was compared for various categories of applicants. The study provides information…

Quality Control (QC) regulations for the following federal entitlement programs are discussed: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income Program, and Food Stamp Program. Implications of these QC procedures and for the Department of Education's approach to QC regulations are also considered. Each set of…

Errors made in the allocation of federal funds to institutions for the three campus-based aid programs specified in Title IV of the Higher Education Act are discussed. Funds are allocated directly to participating colleges, which in turn award the money to students, for the following programs: Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, College…

Error analysis for the institutional process of applying for federal aid is considered as part of the Quality Control Study of the U.S. Office of Student Financial Aid. Attention is focused on the results of the data collection activities that occurred using the Department of Education's records for the Fiscal-Operations Report and Application to…

The impact of data discrepancies made by colleges on the Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP) is addressed, with attention to both impact on the entire aid program and resource allocation to institutions. Brief descriptions are provided of the allocation formulas for the three campus-based aid programs (Supplemental…