This report examines issues relevant to establishing an Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) ombudsman office within the Department of Education. The OSFA ombudsman office came out of the need to improve student lending program services and to mitigate the impact of loan default on students. It was determined that students involved in…

This workbook covers all the processes needed to administer the federal direct loan program in schools; it requires familiarity with the basic concepts found in the "Direct Loan School Guide." The eight units of instruction include: Unit 1: an overview; Unit 2: processing loan records, including the EDExpress setup, the processing cycle,…

This report lists schools with fiscal year (FY) 1995, FY 1996, and FY 1997 official cohort student loan default rates that are 25 percent or higher. As a result, these schools are subject to initial loss of eligibility to participate in the Federal Family Education Loan Program, the Federal Direct Student Loan Program, and/or the Federal Pell…

This report lists schools with fiscal year (FY) 1997 official cohort default rate that are 40.1 percent or higher. As a result these schools may be subject to limitation, suspension, and/or termination from all Title IV student financial assistance programs unless they submit cohort default rate appeals. Schools are listed in state order by Office…

This report lists schools with fiscal year (FY) 1995, FY 1996, and FY 1997 official cohort student loan default rates that are 25 percent or higher and have lost eligibility to participate in the Federal Family Education Loan Program, the Federal Direct Student Loan Program, and/or the Federal Pell Grant Program due to prior year cohort default…

This study examined the institutional satisfaction of approximately 2,250 institutions of higher education participating in the Federal Direct Loan and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) programs during the 1997-1998 academic year. Among major findings were: (1) both Direct Loan and FFEL institutions were satisfied with their loan programs,…

Whereas many prior studies evaluated the association between borrower or institutional characteristics and default behavior, the general finding of most researchers today is that college success plays a bigger role in predicting who will default than either the background of the borrower or the type of institution attended. All else being equal,…

Student aid--how many dollars should be provided and where the dollars will come from, what role the institution should play, and how the institution will be affected by federal cutbacks--is discussed. The Illinois Higher Education Loan Authority, a student loan program, is described. (MLW)

Possible further changes in federal funding and aid delivery systems could have highly divergent consequences for college enrollment patterns and management practices. Department of Education objectives and programs (SEOG, Pell grants, GSL programs, etc.) and change implications are discussed. (Author/MSE)

Policy modifications by postsecondary, business, and banking institutions are suggested to make small loans readily available to adult learners for higher education. The author focuses on middle-income adult students with an interest in career mobility in examining existing student loan programs, deferred tuition plans, and adult repayment rates.…

Between 1991 and 1994, college student borrowing increased by 28% annually, higher than the national rate. The highest rates are among older, part-time, independent, and minority students. Rising debt and rising costs predict a growing problem of indebtedness among students. Social and economic consequences could be severe if this trend continues.…

Introduces the issue, with the following themes: (1) the increased importance of higher education; (2) policies, issues, and attitudes affecting access to higher education in the 1980s; and (3) the questionable effectiveness of junior colleges. (DM)

The aggregate financing of student aid by the federal government, state governments, and institutions over the past 25 years is discussed. Trends in the composition of aid delivered (grants, loans, and work study) are described. Over time comparisons in the numbers of recipients and aid per recipient are given by programs. (Author/MLW)

Structure, intentions, and outcomes of the first year curriculum of the Brackenidge Internship in Teaching Project are described. The 17 interns, selected while high school seniors, receive forgivable $26,000 loans in exchange for two years teaching. The project addresses problems in recruitment, preparation, and retention of academically talented…

An economic squeeze is being placed on colleges and universities through reduced federal and state aid to education. Discusses the history of financial aid, who is considered needy, whether accepting a student loan is wise, the new Direct Loan program, prepayment loans, using college debt to your advantage, and future trends in financial aid. (JBJ)