This empirical study examined postsecondary-student attitudes and preferences regarding five discrete student loan plans and loan plan features. Questions addressed dealth with debt ceilings, loan repayment time span and percentage of annual income, and alteration of repayment plan choices. A random sample of 218 federal aid recipients was used.…

The paper details likely incomes and living costs of law graduates as related to educational costs and debts. Concern is expressed about the deterrent effect of potential high debt on minorities and an approach to financial aid which would take minority status into account is urged. (Author/DB)

Surveys of graduating students (n=336 and 917, respectively) at four lower-cost and five higher-cost law schools examined effects of various levels of student debt burden on career plans. High debt amounts were slightly related to taking a job in large private law firms. Debt burdens of one in five or six students was judged to be too high. (DB)

Issues concerning mortgage-backed student loans are examined, with attention to the new tax law, policy and practical concerns that a college should address before starting this type of loan program, public policy issues, and two types of plans. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 phases out the deductibility of consumer interest charges and as a result…

Scripts of public radio programs on the subject of paying for college are presented. They deal with various kinds of students and student financial aid, including work-study programs, state aid, Basic Grants, etc. The scripts are as follows: "Students Who Work and Go To College;""Student (Myra Burns) Describes Struggle to Pay for College;""Student…

Section 439A of the Education Amendments of 1976 restricts the dischargeability of federal student loans to cases of "undue hardship." The origin, applications, and legal procedures involved in Section 439A and in Section 523(a) of the new Bankruptcy Code are examined and suggestions are made for determining the meaning of "undue…

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…

A discussion of the influence of finances on students' decisions to enter medicine or pursue low-paying careers in primary care or clinical investigation looks at three factors: medical school costs, the magnitude of student indebtedness, and the effects of indebtedness on career choice. (Author/MSE)

The impact of changes in student aid policies on the way students and their families pay for college is examined. A major focus is how student loans fit into the overall framework of student finance. Information is presented on the National Direct Student Loan program and Guaranteed Student Loan program. Both programs provide the opportunity to…

Definitions of manageable college student debts are discussed and one definition is applied to California data, using the Student Expenses and Resources Survey. Definitions proposed by Daniere, Hartman, and Horch define manageable debt levels in terms of future income. A comparison of the three proposals shows the number of years of repayment…

The effect of indebtedness (undergraduate loan burden) after college graduation on the decision to pursue a graduate degree was studied for 899 individuals from the High School and Beyond study. Level of undergraduate debt was not a significant choice determinant. Some limitations of the methodology are discussed. (SLD)

Hearings on reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965 that were held in Portland, Maine, in 1985 are presented. It is noted that in Maine, which is a rural state, family income is low and 56% of its students depend on federal financial aid programs. Specific concerns include: how costs at the University of Maine system compare with costs…

Expenses that health professions students incurred, sources of income to meet those expenditures, and indebtedness incurred by the students during the 1976-77 school year were studied. A questionnaire, which is appended, was mailed to a sample of students registered in schools of dentistry, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, podiatry,…

The federal role in helping colleges provide graduate education is considered, as part of hearings on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The question of whether there is access to graduate education is addressed. Attention is directed to the following concerns: the appropriate balance between undergraduate and graduate…

Three models for anlayzing the Tuition Advance Fund (TAF) are examined. The three models are: projections by the Institute for Demographic and Economic Studies (IDES), projections by Data Resources, Inc. (DRI), and the Tuition Advance Fund Simulation (TAFSIM) models from Boston University. Analysis of the TAF is based on enrollment, price, and…