Author concludes that financial aid to students is fundamentally more sound than general institutional support. (Editor)

Financing higher education is a four-way collaboration between the government, state and federal; the students and their families; the private sector; and the higher education institutions. Placing the entire burden of higher education on one of these parties is unreasonable. (MLW)

An interview with the Department of Education's Secretary Shirley Hufstedler reveals her viewpoints on higher education's problems and their solutions and her own goals and priorities as the first secretary. Minority students, access to education, financial pressures facing institutions, and burdens on institutions trying to administer federal…

Student loan debt levels are discussed in relation to borrowing patterns, educational opportunity, and cost-effectiveness of a college education; and common concerns about debt level are examined. It is concluded that while student indebtedness is high, these concerns are out of proportion to reality and reflect inappropriate assumptions about…

Because college costs will continue to increase dramatically, educational loan programs will become more important in the financial package. An efficient, national student loan program that will guarantee access, choice, and fairness is what is needed. (MLW)

Participants in the tuition-setting process lean toward "aggressive" pricing strategies because they want to maintain or improve quality, assure continued vitality, and keep the campus in good repair. Recent trends in tuition pricing are reviewed and some elements of budgetary strategies predicted on tuition increases above inflation are examined.…

In support of a balanced Federal aid program. (IR)

Examines increasing application of consumerism vocabulary to postsecondary education citing federal and state action to protect students' rights as consumers. Lists steps institutions can take to avoid regulation by voluntarily complying with consumer standards of truth-in-advertising and full disclosure of pertinent information. (JT)

Through their subcommittee work, William Ford of Michigan and Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island are the two most influential members of Congress on matters affecting higher education. Their viewpoints and accomplishments, particularly with respect to student financial aid programs, are discussed. (JMD)

Next year, Congress will begin the process of reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, which governs the major student aid programs and other categorical support for colleges and universities administered by the Education Department. Major reauthorization issues include degree of access in Pell program, aid based on manpower planning, etc. (MLW)

The question of a balance in the supporting roles of students and families, governments, and institutions in college financing is discussed. In the context of that analysis, the question is then whether the current student aid system is the most cost-effective and fair way of meeting national needs. (MLW)

The 1985 Recent College Graduates Survey, conducted by the U.S. Department of Education's Center for Education Statistics, was studied to determine who is borrowing from student loan programs, and how the borrowing varies by race/ethnicity, major field of study, and amount of debt. (MLW)

This article examines major issues in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act noting key features of the last (1992) reauthorization and current issues such as the rising cost of college, college outcomes assessment, eligibility of students in remedial courses for federal student financial aid, accreditation, and the future of the student…

Federal policy for financing student aid is less equitable today than ever before. If college costs are high, the costs of an expanded uneducated lower class will be higher. College access and choice will become increasingly remote for low-income students unless increased resources can be provided. (MLW)