Federal student loans include a complex consolidation option that gives borrowers the opportunity to combine several loans into a single loan with a longer term to maturity and, for loans originated before July 2006, to convert from a variable- to a fixed-rate loan. The consolidation option adds substantial costs to the federal student loan…

The cost to a typical borrower of participating in the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program was studied, based on the analysis of automated models that calculate total borrower costs under various scenarios. The focus was related to the actual costs of obtaining and repaying a student loan. Conclusions are as follows: (1) student borrowers under…

The failure of students to repay federally insured loans has led to an increased emphasis on default prevention and threatens institutions with high default rates with exclusion from federal student aid programs. Prior studies of default prevention using theoretical constructs based on economics, sociology, and psychology have yielded mixed…

The effectiveness and efficiency of procedures employed by the federal government and participating education institutions to operate and manage the campus based and Basic Educational Opportunity Grant assistance programs are evaluated. Information was obtained by mail surveys of 756 colleges and universities. An overview is presented of the…

The council's recommendations for 1977 for college-based financial aid programs and for the guaranteed student loan program are both summarized and explained, and the progress of financial aid programs in 1976-77 is reviewed. The latter review includes the training of aid administrators, aid application simplification, regulations and guidelines,…