This publication describes financial aid programs of the U.S. Department of Education and advises students about paying for college. It outlines things a student should ask about college and how to obtain financial aid, whether grants, work-study, or loans. Chapters provide information on: (1) "Education after High School"; (2)…

This directory targets users in Asia and the Pacific who seek further study or research opportunities in which English is the medium of learning. Information gathered form various sources is compiled in three parts: (1) a brief account of fellowships offered or administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization;…

In the 1998 Amendments to the Higher Education Act, Congress directed the National Center for Education Statistics to conduct a new study of higher education costs paid by institutions and prices paid by students and their families. This report is the final product of phase 1 of that study, which relied primarily on existing national data and…

This digest summarizes challenges that American Indian and Alaska Native students face in obtaining adequate postsecondary financial aid and describes general sources of aid for Native students. The number of Native college students is growing rapidly, but obtaining adequate financial aid is the most serious obstacle to completing postsecondary…

This guide explains how to make the most of scholarships, financial aid, and savings, and it reveals lesser-known ways to augment these common resources. The guide is especially useful to families with too much income to qualify for need-based aid, and not enough to pay high tuition rates. The chapters are: (1) "The Three Elements of College…

With women undergraduates now outnumbering men, there are now more women than men borrowing for college. A study used three national data sets to examine differences in borrowing between male and female undergraduates. While some differences both in borrowing patterns and behaviors were found, men and women were found to be borrowing similar…

Explains how changes in government policies have caused college students to seek alternative ways to finance college. Explores strategies used by students to pay for college, and the impact work has on their success. Looks at some alternative ways to pay for college, such as employee supported educational programs, savings incentives, and the…

Increasing the numbers of students who participate in financial aid programs has become a critical issue for many state systems. Reasons for the low rates of financial aid uptake vary, from lack of awareness among students to the many and complex types of aid available to inadequate capacity at the institutional level for conducting outreach to…

This fact sheet, an update of a report published in 1987, provides an overview of the financial aid system for postsecondary education. It covers the various types of financial aid, the technical words and phrases used to discuss it, and the process involved in its disbursement. The fact sheet discusses the roles and responsibilities of those who…

This Braille publication describes the student financial aid programs of the U.S. Department of Education and advises students about paying for college. It outlines things a student should ask about college and how to obtain financial aid, whether grants, work-study, or loans. Chapters provide information on: (1) "Education after High School"; (2)…

Tuition discounting, the use of institutionally funded grants to help defray students' college costs, came into vogue in the late 1970s and has since become standard practice at U.S. four-year colleges and universities. Institutions use the discounts for a variety of purposes, but generally their use is to manage or tailor enrollment in some…

This report contains data on the number and dollar amounts of Minnesota State Grants received by Minnesota undergraduates for Fiscal Years 1978 through 2003. Combined federal Pell and State Grant awards are also reported. The report includes a table showing the parameters used in the State Grant Program from Fiscal Year 1984 through 2003. The…

This report presents selected findings about the financial aid received by postsecondary students during the 2003-04 academic year. It is based on survey data in the 2003-04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04). The estimates presented in the report were produced using the NCES Data Analysis System (DAS) Online, a web-based…

Argues that higher education is a labor-intensive service industry of independent and mutually jealous units supporting expensive and underused facilities, resulting in vast inefficiency. Paying for college education is a source of increasing distress for families. Colleges argue that the truly needy have better access than ever. Constantly…

Astronomical increases in financial-aid budgets are forcing many colleges, even those who have long assured aid to all admitted, to consider scaling back tuition assistance for needy students. At the same time, some institutions are spending millions of dollars in merit scholarships to lure high-caliber undergraduates. (MSE)