Loan programs

After financial aid officers' group urges federal government to extend financial help to providers of alternative loans, student and college associations take the other side, aggressively.

Thousands of student borrowers who got back on track to repay loans after defaulting may be out in the cold because of the financial crisis, even as U.S. helps other lenders and students.

In first Congressional appearance, Duncan faces relatively little criticism of president's ambitious college proposals -- even on plan to end lender-based loan program.

Congressional Budget Office projects eliminating guaranteed loan program will save $94 billion, double the White House estimate.

Bill to correct Higher Education Act errors would make several substantive changes, including putting off controversial bidding process for federal parent loans.

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration's 2010 budget proposal in February to eliminate the lender-based guaranteed student loan program poured gasoline on the longstanding (and, to many, tiresome) debate over whether that program or the federal government's competing direct loan program is more efficient, cost effective, etc.

Not everyone would willingly choose to become the public face of the debt-ridden. Alan Collinge didn't exactly choose to do so, defaulting on $38,000 in student loans only after a series of missteps and strokes of misfortune, but he has embraced his situation with gusto, founding StudentLoanJustice.org to advocate for distressed borrowers and now writing a book, The Student Loan Scam (Beacon Press).

Questioned on college prices by House members, education secretary suggests that students and parents will increasingly abandon high-tuition institutions for less-costly alternatives.

Congress's compromise budget resolution clears way for White House plan to push restructuring of student financial aid -- but signals lawmakers' skepticism of ending role for private and state lenders.

House hearing elicits widespread agreement that big changes are coming, and that a single federal loan program would make sense. But left unanswered: Is administration's plan clearly the best option?