Students from middle-income families are losing their Guaranteed Student Loans this fall as the changes in the Higher Education Act are implemented. The changes are aimed at making sure loans would be provided only to the lowest-income students. (MLW)

The history of federal student financial aid legislation, 1965-1985, is traced, and problems faced in the mid-1980s, and possible future directions are considered. The Higher Education Act of 1965 was the first explicit federal commitment to equalizing college opportunities for needy students through grants and programs such as Talent Search. Some…

Princeton University (New Jersey) is planning to replace loans with grants for students with annual family incomes under $40,000, and will stop considering the value of the family's home in determining need for most families with incomes under $90,000. The move will likely give the institution a competitive advantage in attracting low- and…

Congress will consider reauthorization of the Higher Education Act this summer. From our changing population will emerge the leaders of tomorrow. They are too important a resource to relegate to second-class citizenship because of a lack of access to education caused by inadequate federal support for financial aid. (MLW)

Information on federal student aid recipients by income, undergraduate and graduate level, and financial dependency status is presented for Pell Grants, campus-based programs, and Guaranteed Student Loans (GSL). Income data are reported for all aid recipients and for financially dependent and independent students for 1983-1984 and for 1976-1977,…

Proposed changes in student financial aid for fiscal year (FY) 1986 and their likely effects on higher education are discussed. The Reagan Administration's FY 1986 budget recommends a 25% cut for higher education, or $2.3 billion below the adjusted FY 1985 level of $8.8 billion. All but $100 million of the cuts would come from student aid, and…

Over the last century, Americans have formed a social contract with higher education through the development of and changes to student financial aid programs. These federal, state, and institutional programs are the manifestation of the value we place on who should and who does pay the costs of higher education. Grants versus loans and low-income…

The initial impact of the Middle Income Student Assistance Act (MISAA) was analyzed by comparing student aid recipients and student aid packaging before and after the passage of the Act. Student aid records from a national sample of aid recipients attending independent colleges and universities from 1978-79 through 1979-80 were assessed. In…

Hearings concerning research done for the National Commission on Student Financial Assistance are presented, along with the Commission's recommendations. The recommendations concern modifications of the current law to facilitate greater access for low- and middle-income students and to improve the quality of postsecondary education in the country.…

The purposes, accomplishments, and future of the Higher Education Act are considered in hearings of the U.S. House of Representatives. A brief history of the Higher Education Act over the 20 years since its inception in 1965 is traced, and the role of the federal government in higher education is addressed. The centerpiece of the legislation was…

Recent attempts of the British government to shift its student aid programs from grants to loans are discussed, along with parallels between developments in student aid policy in both Britain and the United States. Great Britain's higher education structure, access to education, and enrollments are briefly described. In Britain over 90 percent of…

The estimated percentage of full-time undergraduates who received aid in fall 1984 is reported, along with the total amount they received, the distribution of aided students by families' income level, and the composition of aid packages. Information is also provided on student debt, the use of special tuition plans, and how student employment…