This study explored the role of financial aid in promoting year-to-year persistence over a five-year period following reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in 1992. The study cohort included 6,711 full-time beginning freshmen in the fall 1993/1994 terms at Arizona State University. Variables examined were (1) effects of receiving any…

Project GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) encourages disadvantaged youth to stay in school and prepare for college. To gather baseline information on incoming seventh-grade students' and parents' awareness of, interest in, and aspirations for students' postsecondary education, surveys were administered to…

This CD-ROM, also available in audiotape format, contains a simulated telephone conversation between a counselor at the Department of Education's Federal Student Aid Information Center and a student inquiring about financial assistance for the visually impaired. Following an introduction containing information about the contents, each track or…

Transitioning from high school to a postsecondary educational environment is exciting but challenging. There are new places, new faces, and new ways of doing things. Students now must advocate for themselves instead of having programs and services planned for them. These adjustments can at times be overwhelming. Minimize the challenges by planning…

An annual National Association of College and University Business Officers study finds that institutional student aid is being used as a tool to help shape desired class demographics. An analysis of trends in tuition, net tuition, enrollment rates, net freshman revenue, and freshman student-aid rates is summarized here, and questions raised by the…

Implications for future generations of college loan program changes are examined. The idea of who should pay for college is explored from the perspective of economic theory. It is concluded that new loan programs must be monitored carefully so they do not shift the burden of college payment from parents to students. (MSE)

The work of the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is guided by a 5-year strategic plan. The purpose of the plan is to provide focus for the activity of this small agency and its eight staff members in order to increase productivity and impact in the areas of its statutory authority. The mission and goals were accepted by…

Every year, millions of high school graduates seek ways to finance the rising costs of a college education, at times falling prey to scholarship and financial aid scams. To help students and their families, on November 5, 2000, Congress passed the College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000 (Act) to establish stricter sentencing guidelines…

The purpose of this report is to provide policymakers and the general public with basic information about both the benefits and the costs of higher education. Some of this information illuminates the difference that postsecondary education makes to the prosperity of a state and its citizens. Also contained in this report are lesser known facts…

By examining trends in college affordability, this article explores the extent to which the public perception that college is not affordable is justified. First, the article describes trends in national indicators that contribute to ability to pay, including income growth, health care costs, debt burden, and personal savings rates. Trends in…

This report summarizes the postsecondary plans and scholarship monies of graduates of Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) high school seniors in SY07-08. Postsecondary plans represent the intentions of seniors the year after graduation. Students indicate whether they plan to attend a 4-year college/university, junior/community…

This guide discusses federal student aid programs for postsecondary education and how to apply for them. It begins by outlining sources for finding out about student aid, such as schools, state higher education agencies, guidance counselors, and organizations connected with particular fields of interest. It then offers tips on how to choose a…

A study was conducted in October 1987 to evaluate student indebtedness at four matched pairs of community and senior colleges in Florida, California, Nebraska, and New York. Questionnaires and return envelopes were sent to 5,149 students registered in credit-course at the eight institutions, resulting in 616 usable responses, including 297 from…

This booklet is intended to help high school students approaching graduation identify sources of financial assistance for postsecondary education. A question-and-answer format is used in the 10 sections which address the following topics: (1) general information (what is available from the Department of Education, criteria for applying, how to…

This analysis examines alternative ways to use the approximately $6 billion now spent annually on Pell Grants to produce higher maximum awards for low-income students. The need for such alternatives is based on the rapidly declining value of the maximum Pell Grant as a percentage of college costs. A table offers 5-year baseline projections under…