Through the higher education act (HEA) reauthorization, congress has several opportunities to improve and simplify student loan repayment for borrowers. To address the challenges students face when repaying their loans, congress should simplify the existing federal loan repayment plans, strengthen public service loan forgiveness, eliminate loan…

Black students are more likely to take on debt, borrow higher amounts, and struggle with repayment than their peers, because they generally have fewer resources to pay for college, thanks to the ongoing generational effects of systemic racism. This debt burden has far-reaching financial consequences, and many Black borrowers are unable to afford…

The proposed College Affordability Act calls for a massive uptick in federal spending on higher education and increased access to federal student aid (which has been shown to inflate tuition), while easing the criteria for federal loan forgiveness, leaving the bill to American taxpayers. Americans need solutions that will drive down the price of…

With the total student debt in the United States at nearly $1.5 trillion, loans are affecting the lives of many students. But while higher education pays off for the average graduate, the student loan data illustrates a unique and severe situation for Black students that has reached crisis level, even if the same isn't true for other racial and…

As the Biden-Harris administration seeks to hasten the country's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, reforming the U.S. higher education system to ensure equitable access and attainment for all adults is more important than ever. Most student parents are mothers, students of color, adult and working learners, students with low incomes, and…

This report discusses recent changes in federal aid to postsecondary students enacted by Congress during 1992-93, focusing on the 1992 Amendments to the Higher Education Act and the 1993 Federal Direct Student Loan (DL) Program. The report reviews recent issues surrounding federal aid to postsecondary students, such as program accountability and…

The question of a balance in the supporting roles of students and families, governments, and institutions in college financing is discussed. In the context of that analysis, the question is then whether the current student aid system is the most cost-effective and fair way of meeting national needs. (MLW)

This monograph presents a history of developments in major student financial aid programs over the past 20 years. An opening section offers highlights of the topic. The article goes on to look at types of student aid, categorized as grants, loans, and work study. An examination of the effects of inflation shows that even taking into account…