The work of the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is guided by a 5-year strategic plan. The purpose of the plan is to provide focus for the activity of this small agency and its seven staff members in order to increase productivity and impact in the areas of its statutory authority. The mission and goals were accepted by…

This issue of "The Native Scholar" is comprised entirely of the annual report of Catching the Dream (CTD), an organization that awards scholarships to Native American students and grants for improving Native American schools. CTD scholarship programs are described, as are scholarships in general and how to find them. Fourteen scholarship websites…

Though the rise in college student debt often has been blamed on rising tuition, a radical shift in student financial aid--from a system relying primarily on need-based grants to one dominated by loans--has been equally important. Numerous reports have highlighted the burdens faced by students who borrow large sums, but less is known about…

This volume discusses the eligibility requirements for student and parent borrowers from federal financial aid programs. It reviews the factors an aid administrator must consider when reviewing a student's application for a loan and outlines the administrator's responsibilities in checking to make sure that recipients qualify for their aid awards.…

This report describes the activities, accomplishments, and concerns of the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education, for the 6-month period ending March 31, 2000. The report describes management challenges concerning student financial assistance, including instances of fraud and abuse, concealment of prior defaults, patterns of…

These training materials were designed to be used by participants at a National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) workshop which explains how to use the NSLDS Web site. Following an overview, the guide is organized into four sessions: (1) students' access and use of the NSLDS Web site; (2) navigating the financial aid professional Web site; (3)…

This brief report summarizes trends in student borrowing based on data from the 1992-93 and 1995-96 National Postsecondary Student Aid Studies. Major findings include: (1) between 1992-98 and 1994-96, the percentage of undergraduate students attending four-year institutions who borrowed from federal loan programs during the academic year increased…

President Bill Clinton used the declining default rate on college student loans as a basis for proposing tax breaks for college costs. Reduced defaults have saved taxpayer money and helped reduce the federal deficit. Over 150 colleges and universities, including 25 private institutions, risk losing eligibility for federal grant and loan programs…

Summarizes data from a survey of 54 dental schools concerning dental students' financial aid. Data and analyses include percent of students receiving aid; average annual aid per student; average first-year costs of dental school; aid distribution within private, public, and state-related schools; details on federal loan programs; grant and…

Concerns about cuts in federal student loan and grant programs are outlined, and ways in which institutions can act to influence policy are examined. Basic facts about potential cuts, their effects, federal spending on student aid, aid recipients, public opinion, and aid policy's effects on tuition are discussed. (MSE)

The 1987 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study was used to compare four alternative approaches for assessing the influence of price subsidies on within-year persistence by graduate students. Conclusions include tuition charge has a substantial negative influence on persistence; and comprehensive packages (grants, loans, plus assistantships)…

Examines the total direct and indirect effects of receiving financial aid on persistence to degree using a subsample of 1989 freshmen from the Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey. Analysis shows that although simply receiving financial aid is unrelated to persistence, the effects of financial aid on persistence appear to depend on type and…

A study of graduate and professional student within-year persistence, based on the 1993 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, compared three models of the impact of financial aid on persistence. It was found that financial aid significantly and positively influenced within-year persistence, with comprehensive aid packages having the greatest…

A study analyzed demographic, socioeconomic, and financial factors in enrollment behavior of accepted applicants to Iona College (New York). Financial aid had a positive impact on enrollment decisions (excepting upper-income applicants): for every $1,000 increase offered, probability of enrollment increased 1.1 to 2.5%. Work-study was not…

Study investigated academic, social, attitudinal, and behavioral influences on student borrowing, using a sample from a national longitudinal study, with attention to labor market data, in predicting student borrowing behavior. Results show substantial differences between dependent and independent students in attitudes toward loans and debt…