This paper uses data from the 1979 and 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth cohorts (NLSY79 and NLSY97) to estimate changes in the effects of ability and family income on educational attainment for youth in their late teens during the early 1980s and early 2000s. Cognitive ability plays an important role in determining educational outcomes…

"The Achiever" is a monthly publication for parents and community leaders. Each issue contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. Highlights of this issue include: (1) President Signs College Cost Reduction Act; (2) Galvanizing the Community: Charter Schools Provides Greater Choice to Colorado Latinos…

This report presents an evaluation of the general controls over the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) information system maintained and operated by a contractor for the U.S. Department of Education (ED), which administers FFELP. The evaluation found that ED's general controls over the FFELP information system did not adequately protect…

An evaluative study was done of the Department of Education's system of internal accounting controls over the Federal Family Education Loan Program, known as the guaranteed student loan program. The study evaluated internal control systems, the structure of the program with respect to the role of guaranty agencies, and the Department's ability to…

The United States General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General's (OIG) audit of the annual financial statements for the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1994. GAO reviewed OIG's audit rather than conduct its own to avoid duplication and to…

Between June and September 1995, this performance audit examined Colorado higher education cost containment in debt refinancing and improvements to student loan processes according to generally accepted government auditing standards. With respect to debt refinancing, the audit concluded that in general, governing boards and institutions were…

This document contains the semiannual report on the activities of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the 6-month period ending March 31, 1997. During this time the OIG continued to fulfill its statutory mandate through a carefully designed program of audits and reviews intended to help Education Department…

This study examined student loan default rates at 98 of the 104 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States. About 3 percent of all federal students loans made in fiscal year (FY) 1995 were made to students at HBCUs, a percentage that has remained steady from FY 1991 through FY 1995. For FY 1993, the average loan…

This report discusses the continuing concerns of the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in regard to the Department of Education's management and oversight of postsecondary student financial aid programs, especially the Federal Family Education Loan, the Ford Direct Loan, and the Federal Pell Grant Programs. GAO commends the department for its…

This booklet is designed to help Pennsylvania's re-entry female students find the best ways to finance a college education. It presents a "To Do" list with the following steps: (1) prioritize what is wanted or needed from an enhanced educational opportunity; (2) familiarize oneself with different types of federal, state, and local aid…

This paper offers information and analysis of the direct lending portion of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The direct lending proposal is described in an opening letter to the reader as a provision that would make the Pell Grant Program an entitlement and raise the maximum award to $4,500 with provisions that would…

This report provides statistical data illustrating trends in student aid from 1983 to 1993 including revised figures for the 1980s. In addition, it reports changes in the costs of attending college and in family incomes. The data represents virtually all federal aid and the vast majority of state and institutional assistance available to students…

This resource paper on financial aid for postsecondary education covers various types of financial aid (grants, loans, and employment); the technical words and phrases used to discuss it (such as "financial need,""family contribution," and "financial aid package"); and the process involved in its disbursement. Particular attention is given to…

This guide for postsecondary education institutions provides guidelines for administering the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. Chapter 1 describes general participation and origination criteria. Chapter 2 describes the electronic support the Department of Education provides, including information on Electronic Data Exchange (EDE),…

This participant's guide is intended to be used in a one-day workshop for college/university staff involved in administering federally supported student financial assistance programs under Title IV of the reauthorized Higher Education Act. The materials are in a workbook format and include copies of workshop display materials, space for notes,…