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 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…

Explored what impact the Search for Education, Evaluation, and Knowledge (SEEK) program had on female students at Brooklyn College (n=896). Results indicated that SEEK subjects who were independent of their parents had a more positive reaction to college and achieved a significantly higher grade point average than did parent-dependent subjects.…

Reasons for the increasing numbers of independent college students are considered, with attention to the provision for independent students in the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (Pell) program. The availability of grants to independent students may have two consequences: college students under age 22 with access to parental resources might…

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…

Silber's proposed Tuition Advance Fund for undergraduate student financial aid is criticized. It is suggested that what the TAF would do is substitute the student's borrowing from the government for what the parents now contribute to higher educaiton. (LBH)

Current federal definitions and proposed alternative definitions of financially independent students, and the effect of the definitions on the numbers and attributes of independent students, are reviewed. Current federal law defines financial aid applicants as financially independent of their parents if they meet three criteria (the "tri-form"…

In fall 1986, the Center for Public Interest Polling at the Eagleton Institute of Politics conducted a study of the educational objectives, attitudes, characteristics, and plans of students enrolled in New Jersey's 19 community and county colleges. Interviews were conducted with 2,100 randomly selected students. Study findings included the…

A proposed Tuition Advance Fund is advocated as a solution to the student financial aid and loan default problem for undergraduate students in degree programs at accredited institutions. Qualifying students could borrow funds for three years and repay in the future through payroll withholding or estimated tax payments. (LBH)

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)…

College students are complaining that Congress has made it too difficult to demonstrate financial independence to qualify for federal financial aid. Legislation in 1992 tightened the policy on financial independence to prevent affluent students from cheating the system. Colleges are reluctant to step in for fear of state-conducted audits of…

The NLS 72 and CIRP files were used to construct profiles of student financing for 1973-74 through 1979-80. Students finance smaller amounts than institutions list. Student self-support is declining while family and scholarship/grant support is rising. The middle-income squeeze and the importance of student aid to private institutions are evident.…

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…

Data that is needed on student financial aid applicants are discussed in hearings held as part of fact finding prior to reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Topics include: types of students who apply for student financial assistance, the income levels of their families, the types of institutions they choose, and the degree to which the…

As college costs continue to soar, families across America are confronting a financial burden they find difficult if not impossible to manage alone. Existing programs like student loans are unable to address a problem of this scope. The search for a method to encourage savings for college without drawing on limited public resources has led to a…