On August 24, 2022, President Biden announced that his administration would be cancelling $10,000 -- $20,000 of student debt for middle- and lower-income borrowers. Naturally, this announcement has unleashed a wave of follow-up questions among borrowers. This fact sheet is intended to help Californians with student loans navigate the process of…

In August 2022, the U.S Department of Education (ED) announced it would invoke the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 (HEROES Act) to cancel up to $20,000 of federal student loan debts for borrowers who fell below certain income thresholds. The HEROES Act authorizes the Secretary to "waive or modify" statutory…

Today, approximately 43 million Americans hold a federal student loan. When these borrowers fall behind on payments, they become delinquent on their loans; once the loans reach 270 days past due, borrowers are in default. As of March 2021, roughly 1 in 5 borrowers was in default, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. Failing to…

The federal government's Direct Loan program dominates the student-loan market today, issuing 90 percent of all loans made across the country each year. Students pursuing everything from short-term certificates to master's degrees qualify for nearly $100 billion in loans every year at terms more generous than most private lenders would offer.…

The Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program's current operations, legislative history, and growth are reviewed, along with research needs. GSLs are made by lenders to college students, and the federal government guarantees them and provides incentive payments to lenders and subsidy payments on behalf of students until loan repayment begins. Today,…

The report of the Committee on Education and Labor, together with supplemental minority and additional views is presented to accompany H.R. 4986 to amend the Higher Education Act 1965 to reduce the default rate on student loans under the Act. Topics include the following: committee action; background and need for the legislation; explanation of…

This report discusses the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Programs, formerly referred to as the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) Programs, which are designed to insure and subsidize loans private lenders make to students and their parents to help them meet the cost of postsecondary education. Chapter 1 outlines the major features of the FFEL…

This report discusses recent changes in federal aid to postsecondary students enacted by Congress during 1992-93, focusing on the 1992 Amendments to the Higher Education Act and the 1993 Federal Direct Student Loan (DL) Program. The report reviews recent issues surrounding federal aid to postsecondary students, such as program accountability and…

President Bill Clinton used the declining default rate on college student loans as a basis for proposing tax breaks for college costs. Reduced defaults have saved taxpayer money and helped reduce the federal deficit. Over 150 colleges and universities, including 25 private institutions, risk losing eligibility for federal grant and loan programs…

This document presents hearing testimony and prepared statements, letters, and supplemental material concerning the use of the United States tax collection system for collecting postsecondary education student loans and developing a repayment system that is income-sensitive. Among those presenting testimony are the following: Michael S. Bigelow,…

Basic information about the federal Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program, including its status and the level of participation, is presented, and policy issues concerning cost, equity, efficiency, and administration are also identified. After specifying six criteria for evaluating options for change in the program, specific options are listed…

This guide and training manual, in loose-leaf format, is intended to assist lenders and schools participating in the Colorado Student Loan Program (CSLP). The manual consists of a series of single page (front and back) "ready references." Each ready reference includes a title followed by information on the subject and suggestions for…

This paper identifies issues that underlie student financing of education in the health professions in terms of the interrelationships and interactions between financial aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act and Titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act. Section 1 provides background to the issues by describing…