This report examines the four program activities that account for two-thirds of delinquent debt owed to the Federal government: the Department of Education's Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) with $20 billion and the housing programs of the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Veterans Affairs (VA), and Agriculture that…

Arguing that the benefits from borrowing abroad exceed the costs recently imposed on countries through debt-servicing difficulties, this paper defines debt as an engine of growth, forcing the borrower to produce goods efficiently, export them, and function competitively in the international market. Debt-servicing difficulties of developing nations…

Hearings were conducted to discuss legislation aimed at reducing student loan defaults in the federal Guaranteed Student Loan program. The Student Default Initiative Act of 1988 is designed to address the growing cost of student loan defaults and the increasing imbalance between grant and loan assistance. It develops a procedure to get the…

This General Accounting Office (GAO) testimony before the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, concerns the findings of the task force that addressed the increasing costs of student loan defaults. The task force report is considered, generally, to provide additional incentives and…

Policy modifications by postsecondary, business, and banking institutions are suggested to make small loans readily available to adult learners for higher education. The author focuses on middle-income adult students with an interest in career mobility in examining existing student loan programs, deferred tuition plans, and adult repayment rates.…

As guidelines for residential financing, the authors compare different approaches to understanding and figuring the costs of home ownership: the relation of income to house price and housing costs, interest rate, and mortgage term. Instead of the traditional method, they recommend the time value of money approach. (MF)

In Girardier vs Webster College the court held that a private college may refuse to release college transcripts if students have not repaid their National Defense Education Act loans even though they've declared bankruptcy, and that no private remedy could be inferred under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. Implications are…

This article examines problems with the student loan program from an institutional perspective, in the context of reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965. It raises questions for evaluating reform proposals; presents seven key principles for student loan reform; and offers suggestions for a pilot program addressing direct lending,…

This article reviews student loan programs around the world; notes the problem of financial inefficiency, particularly in developing nations; discusses strategies to improve loan program performance, such as program targeting and avoidance of hidden subsidies; and considers alternatives to student loans based on principles of deferred payment. (DB)

Ten issues most likely to influence institutions this year include tuition policy and financing, capital renewal and replacement, charitable giving, scientific equipment and laboratories, endowment management and spending policy, research funding, corporate contributions, minority enrollment and hiring, debt financing and debt capacity, and cost…

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)

Trustees, it is suggested, should keep an eye out for burgeoning short-term debt, over-optimistic income estimates, hidden enrollment problems, student attrition, and loss of special revenue sources. The absolute size of a college is seen as a factor in making the decision to close. (MLW)

Analysis of the income-contingent repayment mechanism of the federal direct lending program suggests that it will be considerably more expensive than other repayment options in total interest costs for many; lead to hefty tax liabilities for some; be administratively cumbersome, vulnerable to fraud and abuse, and costly to taxpayers; and invite…

Hearings on the question of debt collection on student loans are presented. It is noted that in 1981 the Department of Education decided that collections on student loans would be shifted from the public to the private sector. The following concerns are addressed: the reasons for the Department's decision to transfer collection of defaulted…

This analysis of higher education financing examines the need for the provision of additional funds to higher educational institutions and the availability of adequate aid funds to parents and students. It is concluded that there is no single solution to the problems associated with higher education finance that is suitable for all colleges and…