Congress made significant revisions in the methods used to evaluate families' income and college expenses to decide how much aid students should receive. Administrators say that needy students will receive less aid next year, although some students who do not need more aid will be eligible for it. (MLW)

An Immigration and Naturalization Services' interpretation of the 1986 immigration law says immigrants' use of federal aid for purposes other than for books, tuition, and fees, might put their ability to become citizens in jeopardy. (MLW)

In almost half of the Department of Education's biennial audits of colleges receiving federal financial aid, institutions are found to have made mistakes in aid distribution, and each year the department asks colleges to return $25-million in aid money. Better oversight methods are urged. (MSE)

Student financial aid analysts are suggesting the federal government establish a government-run loan bank or trust fund to eliminate the need for lender involvement in the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, but congressional aides think that dismantling the existing program is unlikely. (MSE)

A report on for-profit trade schools said that many schools offer such poor-quality training that large numbers of their students drop out and default on their student loans when they cannot find jobs. Secretary Bennett calls on Congress to crack down on proprietary schools. (MLW)

The American Council on Education's president has proposed a broad plan to overhaul federal student aid, replacing current programs with a more coherent plan. It would expand grant-money for low-income students and maintain the present guaranteed-loan program while creating two new loan plans to reduce government costs. (MSE)

The surge in federal aid to students at proprietary schools, many of whom drop out, means that students seeking bachelor's degrees at non-profit public and private institutions are getting less aid. Proprietary schools claim they are doing a better job of educating disadvantaged students. (MSE)

A series of steps by the Education Department and Congress to crack down on loan defaulters are discussed. Several factors have put defaults in the spotlight, including a study listing default rates at all postsecondary institutions and hard-hitting newspaper editorials. (MLW)

The Education Department's calculation of student loan default rates is disputed. New Education Department regulations will strip federal loan money from students attending schools where large numbers of former students have defaulted. (MLW)

Astronomical increases in financial-aid budgets are forcing many colleges, even those who have long assured aid to all admitted, to consider scaling back tuition assistance for needy students. At the same time, some institutions are spending millions of dollars in merit scholarships to lure high-caliber undergraduates. (MSE)

Rep. Pat Williams, the new chairman of the House Postsecondary Education Subcommittee, visits college campuses and observes what the problems are. A recent visit to Pennsylvania State is described in which he listened to students in the financial aid office, inspected research facilities, and talked with university administrators. (MLW)

President Reagan abandoned his seven-year effort to make drastic reductions in federal spending on education, recommending record high amounts for programs aiding colleges and students. However, the administration suggested curtailments in some programs, including college construction and renovation. (MSE)

The uses the University of Michigan makes of its federal aid dollars, and the sources of that support, are outlined and a general comparison to the situations of other institutions is made. (MSE)

The Javits fellowship program, designed to encourage students to enter the arts, humanities, and social sciences by offering fellowships that would allow them to attend prestigious institutions, is described. Some believe the Reagan Administration has delayed each competition because it wanted to abolish the Javits program. (MLW)

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study by the U.S. Department of Education examines the amount and types of aid students receive nationwide. The study covered aid distributed by the federal government, state governments, colleges and universities, and other sources. (MLW)