Washington Report

House Subcommittee Approves Reauthorization Bill
A U.S. House panel has approved legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. Learn about the key student-aid provisions in the bill.

Senate Funding Bill Provides No Increase in Maximum Pell Grant
A fiscal-2006 funding measure approved by the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee provides no increase in the maximum Federal Pell grant. Learn more.

Report: FFELP, Direct-Loan Costs Approximately the Same
A new report suggests that the actual federal costs of the Federal Family Education Loan Program and William D. Ford Direct Loan Program are approximately the same. The report incorporates direct-loan administrative costs, taxes paid by student-loan providers and a loan-payment-risk factor that are omitted from federal budget projections of the costs of the direct-loan program.

USA Funds Update

Forthcoming Report to Examine Financial Aid for Latino Students
USA Funds is underwriting a study, to be released next month, on financial aid for Latino students. Read more.

Debt-Management Perspectives

Kansas State University to Offer USA Funds Life Skills to Its Greek System This Fall
Nancy Merz, the assistant director of the Office of Student Financial Assistance and a fraternity house-mother, teaches USA Funds Life Skills^® to students in Kansas State University’s Greek system. Learn more.

Operations Bulletin

U.S. Department of Education Posts New Volumes of Federal Student Aid Handbook
The U.S. Department of Education recently published Volumes 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the 2005-2006 Federal Student Aid Handbook. You can access the new volumes from the Department's Information for Financial Aid Professionals Web site. USA Funds’ policy department is reviewing the handbook revisions and will offer highlights of new provisions in future editions of USA Funds Education Access Report.