This publication is intended to accompany the official cohort default rate notification letters sent to postsecondary schools each year and to be used by the schools in preparing materials used for appeals. The guide covers the Federal Family Education Loan Program and/or William D. Ford Direct Loan Program cohort rates and does not contain…

These proceedings include five papers presented at a symposium on issues related to the increasing amounts of student borrowing and resulting student debt. Also included is a synopsis of a roundtable discussion addressing core questions framed by the symposium, as well as several public policy options for addressing student loan debt burden. The…

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…

This report lists schools with fiscal year (FY) 1995, FY 1996, and FY 1997 official cohort student loan default rates that are 25 percent or higher. As a result, these schools are subject to initial loss of eligibility to participate in the Federal Family Education Loan Program, the Federal Direct Student Loan Program, and/or the Federal Pell…

This report lists schools with fiscal year (FY) 1997 official cohort default rate that are 40.1 percent or higher. As a result these schools may be subject to limitation, suspension, and/or termination from all Title IV student financial assistance programs unless they submit cohort default rate appeals. Schools are listed in state order by Office…

This report lists schools with fiscal year (FY) 1995, FY 1996, and FY 1997 official cohort student loan default rates that are 25 percent or higher and have lost eligibility to participate in the Federal Family Education Loan Program, the Federal Direct Student Loan Program, and/or the Federal Pell Grant Program due to prior year cohort default…

Whereas many prior studies evaluated the association between borrower or institutional characteristics and default behavior, the general finding of most researchers today is that college success plays a bigger role in predicting who will default than either the background of the borrower or the type of institution attended. All else being equal,…

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…

During spring 2001, Noel-Levitz created a student loan default model for the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). The goal of this project was to identify students most likely to default, to identify as risk elements those characteristics that contributed to student loan default, and to use these risk elements to plan and implement targeted,…

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…

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…

This report examines the Perkins Student Loan Program, and in particular, the weaknesses in the Department of Education's policies, procedures, and practices for recovering Perkins loan fund assets from schools that go out of business. The report reveals that when schools in the Perkins Student Loan Program close, the Department of Education…