This correspondence presents information on: (1) the number of people who have claimed the income exclusion for using savings bonds to cover college expenses; (2) public awareness of education savings bonds and attitudes toward the income limits on use of the exclusion; (3) the recent lowering of the income limits; and (4) the nonrepayment rate…

This report describes progress in addressing problems identified earlier in the process of consolidating student loans under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP) or the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). Consolidation loans allow borrowers to extend their repayment periods and may combine loans under either or both…

The New England Student Loan Survey (NESLS) II investigated the impact of student loans on borrowers, their consumption patterns, and their attitudes towards repayment. The 1,442 subjects, recent borrowers now repaying their student loans, included 283 high debt-low income borrowers and 207 prior defaulters now in repayment. Findings included the…

Provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code that affect the right of colleges to withhold transcripts as a means of collecting student debts are considered. Automatic stay provisions state that the filing of a petition for bankruptcy relief prohibits actions to collect obligations of the debtor. The discharge injunction provides that once a discharge…

Recent developments on the topic of Guaranteed Student Loan defaults are summarized, in light of a recent shift in the focus of default reduction efforts from loan originators to the schools themselves. Background information on recent default reports is provided, the recommendations of the Secretary of Education are discussed, and the legislative…

Perspectives on defaults occurring under the two major federal student loan programs, Guaranteed Student Loans (GSL) and National Direct Student Loans (NDSL), are presented. Attention is directed to differences in the size and mode of operation of these programs, the extent and costs of default, comparisons with other types of loans, and the…

The purpose of this paper is to describe the broad outlines of a new student financing program proposed by the state of Wisconsin and to present illustrative data on the distribution of its benefits. The results presented are both preliminary and partial. The paper is divided into four parts. Part 1 discusses the efficiency and equity questions…

Examines whether undergraduate students are incurring excessive debt to finance college attendance. Using data on debt levels for 1982-83 full-time college seniors in California, the study concludes that no more than four percent of dependent students and five percent of independent students have excessive debt. Includes six tables, seven notes,…

Trends in students' responses to the annual graduation questionnaire of the Association of American Medical Colleges from 1981 to 1986 were examined. Changes in career activity reflected increasing interest in full-time academic appointments and decreasing interest in solo, private practices. (Author/MLW)

Given the pressure for alternative uses of government funds, loans will continue to have a role in the student assistance program. The limitations inherent in their use and how best they may be coped with are explored. (MLW)

Student loans have become an essential ingredient of financial planning for college. The Guaranteed Student Loan Program's default rate is over 10 percent. World Bank and other international data suggest three solutions: longer repayment terms, graduated repayment schedules, and forgiveness for individuals choosing public service. (8 references)…

This guide explains available repayment options for federal student loans so that students can repay their debts successfully. It also tells the steps students should take so that they will not get behind in payments or go into default. It is emphasized that federal student loans are real loans, just like car loans or mortgages, that must be…

College students are leaving their higher education institutions with more educational loan debt than ever before. From academic year 1994-1997 to 1999-2000, the amount postsecondary education students borrowed through federal student loan programs jumped from $24 billion to $33.7 billion, and total debt for borrowers who received master's and…

This report presents data on default rates within two major federal student loan programs, the Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP) and the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). Data from the National Student Loan Data System for 1997 and 1998 indicate that, overall, direct and guaranteed student loan programs had similar default rates--6.6…

In November 1999, the U.S. Department of Education began offering a 0.25% interest rate reduction to borrowers under the Direct Loan program who agree to have their monthly loan payments automatically withdrawn from a bank account through its electronic debit account (EDA) program. The Department of Education submitted a justification to the…