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…

Educational loan limits for graduate and professional students were estimated to provide manageable repayments that were a proportion of the borrowers' future consumption budget data. Based on each professional group's income profile, loan repayments were computed for each year of repayment and summed across alternative repayment periods to arrive…

Silber's proposed Tuition Advance Fund for undergraduate student financial aid is criticized. It is suggested that what the TAF would do is substitute the student's borrowing from the government for what the parents now contribute to higher educaiton. (LBH)

Pennsylvania's sophisticated system for student loan fraud and abuse detection is described, including the factors felt to contribute to its success and suggestions for improving other state agency fraud units. (MSE)

This report examines issues relevant to establishing an Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) ombudsman office within the Department of Education. The OSFA ombudsman office came out of the need to improve student lending program services and to mitigate the impact of loan default on students. It was determined that students involved in…

Student aid--how many dollars should be provided and where the dollars will come from, what role the institution should play, and how the institution will be affected by federal cutbacks--is discussed. The Illinois Higher Education Loan Authority, a student loan program, is described. (MLW)

In Girardier vs Webster College the court held that a private college may refuse to release college transcripts if students have not repaid their National Defense Education Act loans even though they've declared bankruptcy, and that no private remedy could be inferred under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. Implications are…

An economic squeeze is being placed on colleges and universities through reduced federal and state aid to education. Discusses the history of financial aid, who is considered needy, whether accepting a student loan is wise, the new Direct Loan program, prepayment loans, using college debt to your advantage, and future trends in financial aid. (JBJ)

This article examines problems with the student loan program from an institutional perspective, in the context of reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965. It raises questions for evaluating reform proposals; presents seven key principles for student loan reform; and offers suggestions for a pilot program addressing direct lending,…

This article reviews student loan programs around the world; notes the problem of financial inefficiency, particularly in developing nations; discusses strategies to improve loan program performance, such as program targeting and avoidance of hidden subsidies; and considers alternatives to student loans based on principles of deferred payment. (DB)

Based on a survey of former California State University students who repaid (224) or defaulted on (128) loans, an analysis found high levels of significance in postsecondary outcome variables (graduation, employment and income patterns), institutional practices and characteristics, student background characteristics, and understanding of rights…

This exploratory study examines the factors that college students perceive are important in helping them make good financial decisions about paying for a college education. The study categorizes and summarizes students' self-reported responses to an open-ended survey question about recommendations for changes in financial aid counseling practices.…

Fiscal year 1995 marks the first year during which an independent audit was conducted of the U.S. Department of Education's financial statements. This first annual accountability report describes the department's history, current mission, priorities, and progress. It highlights the department's program and fiscal accomplishments and describes…

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has undertaken a number of initiatives for the 6-month period ending September 30, 1996, to help Education Department managers identify and address issues whose successful resolution is critical to the department's fiscal and management integrity. This semiannual report highlights those activities, which are…

This report presents findings and recommendations resulting from a study on the costs and benefits of a Department of Education policy of encouraging lenders of student loans to grant forbearances to borrowers who experience temporary financial hardship but do not satisfy the specific conditions required for government-prescribed deferments. The…