This report describes the Department of Education's process for estimating costs of the Pell grant program, which provides grants to financially needy students pursuing a postsecondary education. The Department uses a three-step process to develop its Pell grant budget estimate: a computer cost model incorporating over 30 economic indicators, a…

Patterns of government subsidies to higher education in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom are compared and evaluated in view of stated policy objectives such as efficiency and equity. An "ideal package" is described that includes a grants system, a system of fees equal to about 30-50 percent of…

Problems with the Reagan administration's proposal for an income contingent loan (ICL) program are discussed. From an institution's perspective, ICLs are likely to be a major administrative headache because colleges would be required to administer it. (MLW)

This document's purpose was to provide a broader context for State Board members as they considered the tuition rate requests for Arizona community college in April of 1997. Arizona's State Constitution calls for public higher education to be as nearly free as possible, yet tuition has become an increasingly important source of revenue for the…

Australia has made significant changes in the ways it regulates and funds vocational education and training (VET), with increased emphasis on competition to promote efficient delivery of the type of programs that students and employers want. National, state and territory governments have increased the role of employers by basing nationally…

Limitations of the Guaranteed Student Loan Program (GSL) are analyzed with respect to repayment convenience, and a variant of the GSL with an income contingent repayment feature is proposed. Computer simulations of loan repayments for both programs are developed and conclusions regarding manageability of repayments presented. (JT)

The 1,175 community colleges in the U.S. share in two key objectives--retaining students by helping them to be successful and keeping college affordable for students. As a community college financial administrator the author knew a little about retention, but she had no idea there may be a correlation between student retention and finances until…

For the first time in the better part of a decade, the idea of making student loans "Income-Contingent" (often referred to as "ICR", which stands for Income-Contingent Repayment) is making a re-appearance on the Canadian policy scene. For those who have long favoured ICRs, this debate will be an opportunity to dust off their…

The Stafford Loan Program (formerly called the Guaranteed Student Loan Program) makes three kinds of student loans for postsecondary education: Stafford Loans, Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS), and Parents Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Stafford loans are low-interest loans based on financial need, while SLS and PLUS loans are not…

Discusses the Ohio Plan which proposes that the state subsidy to higher education be converted into interest free loans which students will repay on the basis of their future income. Empirical estimates of the plan's financial impact on students are given and positive aspects of loan financing are summarized. (JT)

The higher education system in America was built on a four-way partnership between the federal government, state governments, private organizations, and students. Education Secretary Bennett's proposals alter this partnership. Bennett's assumptions and actions say that student aid is an unwise investment in the minds of the American people. (MLW)

Data indicate that the extent to which senior adults enroll in postsecondary educational institutions through tuition-waiver programs is unknown. Administrators describe the impact of tuition waivers for senior adults as limited, yet few state educational coordinating bodies have collected data to confirm this opinion. (Author/BEF)

In response to Congressional requests to analyze proposed federal programs that would provide income-contingent loans (ICLs) to postsecondary students, this report of the Congressional Budget Office examines the fundamental issues in designing such programs. It identifies the key parameters that define an ICL program, discusses the relationships…

Hearings before the House Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education on H.R. 10854 are presented. The bill would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the eligibility of middle-income students for the various forms of student assistance available under such act, and for other purposes. The text of the bill and statements of numerous…

The United States is in need of new strategies to address the historic inequity of access to its colleges and universities. Australia, with its system of deferred tuition and income-contingent repayment, can serve as a source of insight and guidance in addressing this problem and function as an interesting and helpful comparative case. In this…