In recent years, there has been strong bipartisan interest at the congressional level to require annual federal student loan counseling. Given this interest, and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators' (NASFAAs') commitment to being an active, helpful partner in reauthorization discussions, NASFAA convened a task force…

The federal government's role in supporting higher education touches nearly every aspect of the work performed by American colleges and universities. Federal authorities control an immense amount of public resources that are used to strategically exert influence across a complex and differentiated postsecondary system. This report is intended to…

Three years after signing the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965--legislation that established the Basic Education Opportunity Grant (now called the Pell Grant)--President Lyndon Johnson declared that "every man, everywhere, should be free to develop his talents to their full potential--unhampered by arbitrary barriers of race or birth or income."…

This publication provides a nontechnical summary of the U.S. Department of Education's discretionary grants process and the laws and regulations that govern it. This document is intended for individuals and organizations that are interested in applying to the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) for discretionary grants and cooperative…

In September 2007, Congress voted to cut subsidies to lenders in the federal guaranteed-student-loan program and use much of the savings to increase student aid. Congress also passed other significant provisions, including modified repayment periods and loan forgiveness for certain students. Such legislation came on the heels of New York Attorney…

The Secretary amends title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations to establish regulations for the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program. The TEACH Grant program is a non-need-based grant program that provides up to $4,000 per year to students who are enrolled in an eligible program and who agree to…

On June 23, 2008, final regulations were published in the "Federal Register" to establish regulations for the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program. That document inadvertently included several minor technical errors. This document corrects the final regulations. These corrections are effective July…

For-profit higher education institutions have grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, largely free of federal regulation. That freedom would be significantly curtailed if the gainful employment standard takes effect. Vocational training programs would be judged by the ratio of the debt that graduates assume relative to their current earnings…

The Secretary is amending the Federal Student Aid Program regulations to implement the changes to the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), resulting from the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (HERA), Public Law 109-171, and other recently enacted legislation. These final regulations reflect the provisions of the HERA that…

The Secretary is adopting as final, with changes, interim final regulations in: 34 CFR part 691 for the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant) programs; 34 CFR part 668 (Student Assistance General Provisions); and 34 CFR part 690 (Federal Pell Grant Program).…

Results of a survey of the Western Association of Financial Aid Administrators concerning the prevalence and stringency of validation procedures used in 1985-86 are presented, and the impact and effectiveness of federal verification procedures in offices in that region are discussed. (MSE)

This publication describes how an institution of higher education calculates and pays federal Pell awards to eligible students and how it reports those payments to the Department of Education. The discussion covers what the school must do to process an eligible student's Pell award after the school has received documentation of the student's…

This compilation of federal regulations concerning student aid includes changes through December 31, 1998, that apply to all regulations published in the "Federal Register." An introduction offers suggestions for understanding regulations. The regulations, with original dates and change dates, cover the following parts of Title 34 of the…

The Internal Revenue Service has acknowledged that audits of graduate students receiving stipends were based on inconsistent interpretations of tax law but deny any policy to increase monitoring of graduate students' tax returns. (MSE)

This publication provides a non-technical summary of the Department of Education's discretionary grants process and the laws and regulations that govern it. It was written for readers who have received an award, or are simply interested in knowing more about the Department's discretionary grants process. It describes how grant programs are…