While most in the academic community know about the attempt to rein in the for-profits, few are aware of its collateral damage. In October, the Department of Education (DOE) issued its Program Integrity Rules, intended to protect federal funds especially from those for-profit institutions with high student loan default rates. Well-intentioned…

In most cases, individuals filing for bankruptcy to discharge student loans are those who encountered difficult life circumstances, not middle-class college graduates who refused to pay for their education. Many courts have interpreted the Bankruptcy Code's "undue hardship" provisions too harshly and without compassion. (70 footnotes)…

The 10 chapters of this book on the effects of the federal student loan program focus on five major issues: first, that expanding access to postsecondary education is in the national interest; second, the inconsistency in student loan policy; third, increasing federal regulation of higher education; fourth, the fact that rising costs are making…

This article describes the operation of the student loan program in Nigeria, including its past problems and current attempts of the Nigerian Students Loans Board to improve efficiency of loan collection. It proposes the establishment of a new Education Bank to finance student loans and other forms of investment in higher education. (Author/DB)

This report discusses the continuing concerns of the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in regard to the Department of Education's management and oversight of postsecondary student financial aid programs, especially the Federal Family Education Loan, the Ford Direct Loan, and the Federal Pell Grant Programs. GAO commends the department for its…

The debt crisis of the lesser developed countries (LDCs) may provide opportunities for educational institutions. Through debt-for-education programs, a part of the huge debt load can be channelled into financing various educational programs sponsored by U.S. higher education institutions. Private commercial banks and multinational corporations are…

Discussion of a ruling allowing state agencies to deny new educational loans to students with previous loans discharged in bankruptcy looks at the intent behind the Bankruptcy Code, specifically concerning the nature of educational loans and the "fresh start" policy. Potential conflicts between the state and federal statute is also…

It is proposed that a recent court decision concerning default on National Health Service Corps scholarship obligations has addressed thoroughly and resolved all the arguments made by defaulting recipients, placing the scholarships in the realm of grant-in-aid programs and removing common-law defenses of the defaulting student. (MSE)

This brief statement offers 10 questions for consideration by American Dental Association (ADA) officials and others concerned with the burdensome indebtedness graduates often incur for their dental education. Questions ask for assessments in such areas as school operating costs, tuition, school support, loan forgiveness, and how the ADA can help…

The Ontario Student Loan Program has experienced problems with default on student loans, as have loan systems in other countries where governments rely mainly on banks and special departments of quasi-public institutions to monitor or police the borrowers. This report discusses the need for radical modifications of the student loan program to…

This report examines the four program activities that account for two-thirds of delinquent debt owed to the Federal government: the Department of Education's Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) with $20 billion and the housing programs of the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Veterans Affairs (VA), and Agriculture that…

This article examines problems with the student loan program from an institutional perspective, in the context of reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965. It raises questions for evaluating reform proposals; presents seven key principles for student loan reform; and offers suggestions for a pilot program addressing direct lending,…

This article reviews student loan programs around the world; notes the problem of financial inefficiency, particularly in developing nations; discusses strategies to improve loan program performance, such as program targeting and avoidance of hidden subsidies; and considers alternatives to student loans based on principles of deferred payment. (DB)

The National Institutes of Health has developed innovative programs to help students, mostly medical school graduates, to repay or to forgive student loans, including physician participation in AIDS research, general research, and contraception and fertility, and plans for graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds. The program also provides…

Provides excerpts from President Clinton's address to the 1995 American Association of Community Colleges Convention. Discusses the importance of education in economic recovery and of community colleges in providing educational opportunities to nontraditional students. Reviews government initiatives to improve education, such as Tech Prep,…