For workers employed in the public and nonprofit sectors, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program offers the potential for full forgiveness of federal student loans for those with 10 years of full-time work experience. A year-long waiver issued by the Department of Education in 2021 to address administrative problems in program access…

The Biden administration is implementing a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan for federal student loans called Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE). The SAVE plan adds to existing IDR plans and reduces borrowers' monthly payments and shortens the time certain borrowers must repay before their debts are forgiven compared with current options.…

We explore how much borrowers value student debt relief, in the setting of the federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF) program, and further document whether information and eligibility for this program affect teacher employment decisions. The program cancels between $5,000 and $17,500 in debt for teachers who remain employed in a high-need school…

This paper provides a brief overview of the current state of federal accountability and the need for change, and a summary of the landscape of state accountability reforms through funding structures for public colleges and universities. It explores key questions or decision points that must be addressed in designing a federal accountability system…

Finding the funds to attend college often means that many students must acquire loan debt through financial aid. This confusing but critically necessary process can influence college planning and enrollment decisions, post-college employment, and other important life choices, such as enrolling in graduate school, buying a home, or getting married.…

In this report, the author and his colleagues respond to a mandate in the Higher Education Opportunity Act requiring GAO (Government Accountability Office) to study the feasibility of developing a national clearinghouse of federal and private student loans on the Department of Education's (Education) Web site. They addressed the following…

This report to Congress analyzes student loan default rates at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), focusing on student characteristics which may predict the likelihood of default. The study examined available student databases for characteristics identified by previous studies as related to level of student loan defaults. Among…

This study reviews the financial soundness of the Perkins Loan Program, a federal program that provides low-interest loans to financially needy students through postsecondary institutions, and identifies ways to make the Perkins program less financially dependent on additional federal appropriations to cover operating costs and default losses.…

Findings and recommendations of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant Control Study Volume I are presented. The culmination of a year of intensive effort in which the study was designed and data collection and analysis conducted is evaluated, with focus on improvement of the Basic Grant Program. The introductory chapter discusses the background…

The standards established by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology were examined through mail surveys of samples of current students, graduates, and employers. In addition, administrators of all accredited schools and colleges and the corporate offices of schools that have such offices were asked to rate sections…