On September 7, 2007, Congress enacted H.R. 2669, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which will raise the maximum Pell Grant to $5,400 over five years and halve interest rates on subsidized student loans. The act is part of the budget reconciliation process, which secured billions of dollars for increasing Pell Grants and for reducing…

2Futuro is a new "Spanish-first" college-financing program rolled out by Sallie Mae and USA Funds. The pilot version of 2Futuro launched last summer and is, say its partnering agents, "the only fully bilingual college-financing and outreach program that enables Hispanic parents and students to apply for college loans in Spanish. By the end of the…

This report presents information about the state of higher education in Illinois. Higher education entered the year 2000 with a full agenda and ended it as the top-rated system of higher education in a new national report card, "Measuring Up 2000" (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education). Illinois received "A's in…

This book presents information on two major federal loan programs: the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP). It is designed to provide information on borrower and lender activity, presenting factual and statistical data on the various FFEL program and FDLP loan components that…

This report presents information about the state of higher education in Illinois. In November 2000, the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education issued the first National Report Card that gave Illinois an overall grade-point-average of 88.8, the best in the United States. Nevertheless, the state could not rest on its laurels, and…

This brochure describes the work of the Student Financial Aid Information Center, through its toll-free number: 1-800-4 FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). The Center answers questions about major aid programs, such as Pell Grants and Stafford/PLUS Loans. The Student Financial Aid Information Center helps students through the application process by…

Describes how, with the stock market falling and tuitions at public colleges rising, states' prepaid tuition plans face potential difficulty in paying out their contracts. (EV)

Describes how a debate over increasing the limits on student loans--rather than spending more on grants--is growing, as reauthorization time approaches for the federal Higher Education Act. (EV)

Discussion of prepaid college tuition plans looks at their strengths and weaknesses and provides an analysis to illustrate their use as an alternative in funding a child's future education. It is noted that, although some financial planners argue against them, they can offer significant savings by locking in tuition rates. (MSE)

Describes how delivering on the promises of broad-based merit scholarships has been neither easy nor cheap. Problems with such programs, which offer scholarship money to in-state students who meet modest academic requirements, include skyrocketing costs, intense popularity with the public which makes change difficult, legal challenges, and many…

Student aid has changed greatly over recent decades. Tuition costs have increased dramatically, increased competition for students has given rise to enrollment management, and increased funding for federal programs has led to expanded federal involvement in student financial aid. (JM)

Every eligible program, including graduate programs, must have a defined academic year. Award limits are generally connected to a period of time. For instance, all of the programs except Federal Work-Study have a maximum amount that can be awarded for an academic year or award year. This handbook is a resource for learning about Federal Student…

This booklet lists and explains 12 facts about private colleges and universities in the United States. Most of the information in this report is based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics. The facts are: (1) most students pay less than the published tuition at private colleges and universities because of grants and…

College students must pay for educational expenses and living costs. Educational expenses account for 18 to 25% of the cost of college attendance. The cost of attending college, as calculated by each institution, is used to determine a student's financial need and eligibility for financial aid. The cost of attendance varies among institutions,…

Data from a variety of sources confirmed that the opening of the 2001-2002 academic year brought a return to reduced appropriations for higher education and higher tuition increases. As the impact of the continued economic slowdown and the financial blows from the September terrorist attacks become known, policymakers continue to reduce budgets…