Higher education is a critical tool for social mobility, but today, students and their families face significant challenges. It is against this backdrop that the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) convened the Task Force on Higher Education Financing and Student Outcomes. This group has identified several areas of federal policy ripe for reform that…

"Liberal Education" spoke with two higher education policy experts on what they expect and hope for from the Biden administration. Viviann Anguiano is an associate director for postsecondary education at the Center for American Progress. Eric R. Felix is an assistant professor at San Diego State University, specializing in higher…

2008 has been a tumultuous year in the financial world, culminating in scandals and bailouts. In 2009, the author asserts, people can probably expect not only more financial upheaval, but also further attempts by state and local governments to stem the all-but-fated turmoil. But in all the talk of bailouts, of embattled homeowners, and the…

This interview with the comptroller for the U.S. Department of Education focuses on efforts to improve credit management and debt collection. Topics discussed are the credit management initiative, the extent of the problem, improvements, the Housing and Facilities Loan Program, and the significance of the Debt Collection Act of 1982. (JOW)

This report describes progress in addressing problems identified earlier in the process of consolidating student loans under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP) or the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). Consolidation loans allow borrowers to extend their repayment periods and may combine loans under either or both…

Perspectives on defaults occurring under the two major federal student loan programs, Guaranteed Student Loans (GSL) and National Direct Student Loans (NDSL), are presented. Attention is directed to differences in the size and mode of operation of these programs, the extent and costs of default, comparisons with other types of loans, and the…

Given the pressure for alternative uses of government funds, loans will continue to have a role in the student assistance program. The limitations inherent in their use and how best they may be coped with are explored. (MLW)

Present law respecting collection of federal student loans, regulatory and other sanctions against default, and strategies against bankruptcy are outlined and analyzed. (Journal availability: Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems, Box 7, Columbia University School of Law, 435 W. 116th St., New York, NY 10027, $5.00.) (MSE)

Loans have become an important, even essential, ingredient of college financial aid and family financial planning. The World Bank and other international groups, such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, regularly review the experiences of many countries in financing education. Their findings are discussed. (MLW)

A portion of a brief filed in the United States Court of Appeals to appeal a judgment in Handsome v Rutgers University is provided. The case involved a student's prohibition from reregistering and obtaining transcripts due to unpaid loans. The argument and statement of the standard or scope of review are included. (MLW)

Students who have their National Direct Student Loans or Guaranteed Student Loans discharged under federal bankruptcy law may encounter difficulty obtaining college transcripts, and should be counseled on these problems. Available from University of Louisville, 2301 Third St., Louisville, KY 40208; $4.00. (MSE)

The new Australian Higher Education Contribution Scheme allows students to either pay a standard tuition charge on enrollment or defer payment until they are earning at least the current average taxable income. At that point, they incur a debt to the government for the amount deferred and repayment rate is based on income. Conceptual bases and…

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…

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…