Under current law, students pursuing an undergraduate degree in the United States are considered financially independent (from their parents) for the purposes of financial aid if, among other conditions, they are 24 years of age or older. When students' parents are able to pay, considering them financially independent may result in more generous…

This report proposes a more reliable method of determining the subsidies required by independent students. The current Federal methodology for need analysis provides a crude index for determining eligibility. This report takes an innovative approach to determining independent students' ability to pay for education. It challenges many of the…

The impact of changing the definition of independent student status on demand for student financial aid funds is assessed. The current definition of independent students is based on: the amount of money received from parents, living separate from parents, and not being claimed as a dependent on the parents' federal income tax form. Two proposals…

This book provides information to the student financial aid community about the calculation of a student's expected family contribution (EFC). An introduction which uses a question-and-answer format gives background information and guidance for using the proper formula to calculate a student's EFC. The following section provides narrative…

Issues in student financial need analysis are considered, based on the work of the Committee on Standards of Ability to Pay (CSAP) of the College Scholarship Service. The three major sections of the paper concern: CSAP's preliminary recommendations for changes in the 1986-1987 Uniform Methodology; a review of some of the methodological issues that…

Student aid records from a national sample of aid recipients attending independent colleges and universities with enrollments of more than 500 students were evaluated. It was found that recent reductions in federal student assistance and restrictions placed on program eligibility reduced substantially the number and proportion of low-income…

This report analyzes key student financial aid need issues in preparation for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The issues discussed in the report were chosen by the College Scholarship Service's Council Committee on Standards of Ability to Pay, for discussion at the College Board's Regional Assemblies. The issues include: (1)…

The definition of independent student that is used in determining eligibility for federal student financial aid is examined, along with potential compliance problems for independent students and differential treatment of independent and dependent students. Major factors for defining independence for students receiving federal financial aid are:…

This report on need analysis and student aid delivery issues in higher education describes four sets of actions taken by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. First, the Committee voted to forward to the Congress specific recommended actions concerning technical aspects of need analysis which are designed to improve the delivery…

Hearings on reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965 focus on the needs analysis system for student aid programs. One proposal recommends restructuring the Pell Grant Program to target its support on low-income students and to make it more sensitive to the costs of different types of colleges. Recommendations include: implementing a…

This publication identifies a variety of situations in which it may be necessary to use professional judgement in the needs analysis of students requesting financial aid. Alternatives are suggested to aid administrators in more sensitively assessing the ability of a family to pay for postsecondary education. The intent is to describe alternative…

Volume IV of a study of program management procedures in the campus-based and Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) programs deals with a set of simulated modifications in the statements made by BEOG applicants about their financial circumstances. Various kinds of misrepresentation of income, assets, and other factors are postulated, and the…

The application of professional judgment in reviewing and, if necessary, adjusting the results of need analyses in student financial aid is discussed. Specifically, guidelines and alternatives are provided that may be exercised in determining a family's reasonable ability to provide for postsecondary educational expenses. The following topics are…

A guide to the family contribution (FC) for federal student financial aid programs is presented. Information is provided on the steps of the U.S. Department of Education's version of the Uniform Methodology (UM), the system most frequently used by need analysis services and financial aid administrators to determine the family's ability to…

The Basic Educational Opportunity Grant program, the largest federal student aid program, is explained. The method by which a student's eligibility is determined is described in detail. In a section on calculation of eligibility for dependent students, two worksheets are provided: that for families with no farm or business assets, and those with…