Using data from a variety of sources, including public records and the Web site of the Center for Responsive Politics, this study examined the political spending of the five largest holders of federally subsidized student loans: Sallie Mae, the Student Loan Corporation of Citibank, First Union National Bank, Wells Fargo Education Financial…

The federal government provides student loans for college and graduate school in two ways: by guaranteeing bank loans, and by lending directly to students. In the guaranteed loan program, banks lend students money and profit from the interest payments while the government guarantees the loans against default and makes subsidy payments to the…

Because of concerns about the Department of Education's reliance on estimates to project costs of the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP) and a lack of historical information on which to base those estimates, Congress asked the General Accounting Office (GAO) to review how the department develops its cost estimates for the program,…

Author describes and lists advantages of a plan whereby college students at state institutions pay back their tuition after graduation. (SP)

Financial aid to indigent students provided a source of personnel to staff pulpits of early New England churches. (RA)

Reviews tips from financial aid programs aimed at reducing default on student loans. Tips include: know your students, target your efforts, help students stay in school, give students appropriate information during "learning moments," and make information easy to get and understand. Includes lists of other resources. (EV)

This report was prepared by the Chairman's Staff of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee setting forth the findings of an investigation into marketing practices in the Federal Family Education Loan program ("FFEL"). Evidence uncovered by the Chairman's investigation demonstrates that many FFEL lenders routinely…

The rate at which borrowers default on their federally guaranteed student loans has declined to 4.6 percent, in part because of a record number of consolidations, the Education Department announced last week. "Borrowers took advantage of the opportunity to lock in record-low interest rates by consolidating their federal student loans," the…

The investigations of student-loan programs around the country echo previous scandals in the financial world involving stock offerings and mutual funds. The relationships between lenders and financial-aid officers seem to raise the same questions about impropriety, conflict of interest, and possible fraud. Indeed, lessons from Wall Street can…

The Senate education committee approved a pair of bills that would reduce government subsidies to student-loan companies, increase student aid, and set higher-education policy for the next five years. The Senate's budget-reconciliation measure would use the savings derived from reducing subsidies to student-loan companies to pay down a portion of…

Recent studies have questioned the wisdom in blaming college costs for the escalation of student loans. It would appear that less affluent students borrow large amounts because inexpensive subsidized loans are available. This study attempted to verify the claim, estimating a model of the amount of loan received by students as a function of net…

For several months, the subprime-mortgage crisis has hovered over colleges, its ultimate effects uncertain. That is changing. In the past few weeks, a series of loan companies have withdrawn from broad categories of student lending, and some colleges have acknowledged sharp increases in borrowing costs. The most severe effect may be still to come,…

The purpose of the United States Department of Education's (the Department) FY 2013 "Agency Financial Report" (AFR) is to assist Congress, the President, and the American people to assess the Department's stewardship over resources with which it is entrusted. This annual report is required by legislation and complies with the…

In the last forty years, federal and state financial aid policy has fundamentally shifted the way in which students and families finance college costs. Whereas grants once served an important function in equalizing college opportunity, loans are now considered a key lever against escalating postsecondary costs (McPherson and Shapiro, 1998). This…