The Department of Education disbursed nearly $112 billion in financial aid to students through various grant and loan programs in fiscal year 2021. Colleges generally provide students information about the aid for which they are eligible in financial aid offers. Students use these offers to make key decisions, including which college to attend and…

This report provides a brief overview of the major provisions of the Higher Education Act (HEA), organized by title and part. Appendix A of this report provides detailed appropriations figures for HEA programs, from FY2019 through FY2023. Appendix B gives a brief overview of the General Education Provisions Act, which applies to the majority of…

Three Higher Education Act (HEA) student financial aid programs--the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program, the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, and the Federal Perkins Loan program--collectively are referred to as the campus-based programs. Under the campus-based programs, federal funding is provided to institutions…

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329, as amended), authorizes a broad array of federal student aid programs that assist students and their families with financing the cost of a postsecondary education, as well as programs that provide federal support to postsecondary institutions of higher education (IHEs). Programs authorized by the…

The transition from high school to postsecondary education is one of the most important points in a student's educational journey. Yet, as students attempt to navigate the many steps involved in accessing postsecondary education, it is also a juncture where students are most at risk of falling off track. The responses to the COVID-19 pandemic --…

The Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) provides written testimony on the Senate Higher Education Committee interim charges exploring student financial aid and the issue of student loan debt Texas institutions of higher education. This paper highlights recommendations for strengthening and improving the financial aid system in Texas to…

"Trends in Student Aid," an annual College Board publication since 1983, is a compendium of detailed, up-to-date information on the funding that is available to help students pay for college. This report sorts aid into grants, loans, tax benefits, and Federal Work-Study assistance. It documents funding from federal and state governments,…

This document presents tables of data on the approval of awards to institutions of postsecondary education participating in the Federal Work Study (FWS), the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and the Federal Perkins Loan programs for the period, July 1, 1995 through June 30, 1996. The tables provide data on: (1) the name…

Hearings on the proposed federal fiscal 1984 budget are presented that focus on proposals for federal student financial assistance. One of the major recommendations of the Reagan administration's budget is to eliminate funding for the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and State Student Incentive Grant programs and to create…

Sources of funds for students at private colleges are assessed, along with major changes in student financial aid during 1979-1984, based on the Student Aid Recipient Data Bank of the National Institute of Independent Colleges and Universities. A random sample of actual student financial aid records was examined in order to show how aid is…

Edits that can be performed by the processor who applies for federal campus-based student aid programs are discussed, along with a longer-term approach to assessing the efficacy of recommended edit checks. Attention is focused on the accuracy of data submitted by institutions on the application portion of the Fiscal Operations Report and…

Several problems have been identified in the administration of student financial aid programs in California, including high default rates in the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) Program, a significant decrease in the number of eligible students receiving financial aid, workload increases in program administration, and unmet needs for financial aid…

Errors made in the allocation of federal funds to institutions for the three campus-based aid programs specified in Title IV of the Higher Education Act are discussed. Funds are allocated directly to participating colleges, which in turn award the money to students, for the following programs: Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, College…

Error analysis for the institutional process of applying for federal aid is considered as part of the Quality Control Study of the U.S. Office of Student Financial Aid. Attention is focused on the results of the data collection activities that occurred using the Department of Education's records for the Fiscal-Operations Report and Application to…

The impact of data discrepancies made by colleges on the Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP) is addressed, with attention to both impact on the entire aid program and resource allocation to institutions. Brief descriptions are provided of the allocation formulas for the three campus-based aid programs (Supplemental…