Analysis of 110 federal and state adjudication cases from 1950-89 revealed a substantial rise in disputes over financing medical education. Medical school graduates had little success in these cases. A need for counseling, particularly concerning consequences of timing in service obligations and of some loan programs, is seen. (Author/MSE)

According to a recent study of 150 leading private colleges and universities, raising tuition/fees faster than the growth of family income is self-defeating. It forces institutions to divert some new revenue into financial aid, narrows the applicant pool, and undermines the social contract supporting need-based aid. (MSE)

Examines the evolution of the concept of tuition-charged higher education in Russia from a quasi-tuition model in the form of contract training, to self-financed students in public institutions and full-fee private education. Discusses the pros and cons of the student stipend system and its deterioration. Considers recent tuition-related…

Public colleges and universities are complex organizations that assert their institutional autonomy as they simultaneously operate in a context demanding response to public and political scrutiny. State boards and legislators, for example, enact programs, incentives, or regulations in many policy arenas designed to affect how colleges operate. One…

Congress has begun to rewrite the Higher Education Act, the federal law that authorizes student aid programs like Pell Grants, student loans, Federal Work-Study, TRIO and GEAR UP. This will mark the eighth time that the law has been formally revisited since it was enacted in 1965. It is still early in the process and it is uncertain what the…

This article presents an interview with historian David Halberstam who graduated from Harvard University in 1955 after serving as managing editor of the "Harvard Crimson." Upon graduation, he joined the staff of the "Daily Times Leader" newspaper of West Point, Mississippi, and then moved on to the "Nashville…

Few researchers have asked students directly about what they know and need to know regarding college and career planning. Given the critical choices made early in high school, ninth graders (n = 222) were surveyed regarding their educational and career plans and the resources they were using in their decision-making. Overall results as well as…

A study investigated factors encouraging and inhibiting business administration students' participation in study abroad. Subjects were 128 undergraduate and graduate students at a large urban state university. Results indicated personal factors were the strongest encouraging variables, while financial considerations were the most limiting, and a…

Federal budget-balancing legislation includes tax credits and deductions, worth $40-billion over five years, to help people pay for college. Provisions include tax credits, deduction of student loan interest and some employer-paid tuition assistance, penalty-free individual retirement account withdrawals, student loan forgiveness, institutional…

A study of college affordability compared changes in family income, Pell grants, Stafford loans, and state grants with changes in the average costs of public two- and four-year colleges. It concluded that both sectors became more affordable to low- and middle-income families in the 1970s but less affordable in the 1980s. (Author/DB)

This article describes the development at Florida State University of the Seminole ACCESS card, which functions simultaneously as a bank automated teller machine card, a student identification card, and a debit card. Explained are the partnership between the university and the bank charge card center, funding system, technologies involved, and…

The educational progress of students with different family incomes is analyzed. Three financial aid policies working against dependent students from low-income families are examined: (1) zeroing out calculated negative parental contributions; (2) requiring a minimum self-help expectation from students in this group; and (3) substituting expensive…

The original World War II GI Bill fully subsidized education or job training for 7.8 million veterans, making college a realistic expectation rather than an impossible dream, and enabled millions to move to and develop the suburbs. This caused a true social revolution and fueled the longest economic boom in history. (MSE)

At the outset, few politicians and educators recognized the potential of the GI Bill, calling it unworkable. However, the GI Bill had many positive features and no disadvantages, causing unexpected numbers of veterans to take full advantage of it, creating enrollment and housing surprises for colleges and universities. (MSE)

Reviews problems with the Stafford Student Loan Program (Federal Family Educational Loan Program), including high-risk borrowers, dishonest school officials, negligent lenders, and guaranty agencies. Critiques recent reform measures designed to simplify the program. Suggests alternative policies, particularly direct loans from the federal…