Supporters of the new direct student loan program are critical of the private loan-guarantee agencies that cover lender losses on defaulted loans, portraying them as greedy, inefficient, and plagued by conflicts of interest. In turn, the agencies and banks doubt federal capacity to manage student borrowing. (MSE)

A study was done to determine the extent of and reasons for the Department of Education's delayed receipt of origination fees for Stafford Student Loans, and actions needed to facilitate the prompt receipt of the fees. The fees help offset the federal governments' multibillion-dollar cost of subsidizing the Stafford Student Loan Programs. There…

Colleges and universities are finding that improvements in the guaranteed student loan process are making it more attractive than direct lending. In its third year, the direct lending program's total loan volume remains at 33%, well below the 50% goal set in originating legislation. Even some of its strongest supporters fear the program will have…

Researchers, economists, and campus administrators who have followed federal student aid programs worry that businesses have turned the Guaranteed Student Loan Program into a lucrative industry that doesn't always have the students' interest in mind, and a congressional study group is also concerned about aspects of the program. (MSE)

Proposals for the amendment or elimination of the in-school interest subsidy for the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program were evaluated. The proposals were assessed in terms of their effects on the administrative and operational aspects of the GSL program, the availability of loan capital, and their impact on borrowers' ability to meet their…

Four aspects of the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) Program are compared with credit policies on other loans made by consumer installment lenders. The four aspects are: (1) the planning, screening, monitoring, collecting, and write-off policies on GSLs versus uninsured loans; (2) the importance of the Student Loan Marketing Association in providing…

The special allowance component of the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program was evaluated through research and hearings. Attention was directed to: the experiences of students and eligible lenders; the administrative costs of various types of eligible lenders; financial indicators that accurately reflect the costs of capital; and administrative…

This publication offers a summary of a symposium designed to elicit dialogue on the costs and benefits of eliminating the restrictions on institutional lending in the Stafford Loan Program. Approximately 100 people, representing postsecondary institutions, commercial lenders, guaranty agencies, secondary markets, loan servicing groups, and…

Reviews problems with the Stafford Student Loan Program (Federal Family Educational Loan Program), including high-risk borrowers, dishonest school officials, negligent lenders, and guaranty agencies. Critiques recent reform measures designed to simplify the program. Suggests alternative policies, particularly direct loans from the federal…

Thirty options for reducing guaranteed student loan defaults and related federal costs are provided by the General Accounting Office (GAO). The options are presented by groups of program participants: students, schools, lenders, guaranty agencies, and the Department of Education. These options include: adopt GAO's past recommendation to increase…