How the federal government supports access to higher education

Federally guaranteed loans for students and parents

The Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program offers Stafford, PLUS and Consolidation loans to help students and parents fund education after high school. Students are provided a choice of lenders and always receive loan counseling to ensure they will be able to successfully repay their loans.

• EdFund’s Fund Your Future series
• Federal Student Aid Handbook
  

Don’t miss out on tax benefits for higher education

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 created new tax benefits for families who are saving or already paying for higher education. In 2001, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act added new benefits and revised several others.

• Tax Benefits for Higher Education
• Federal Tax Benefits at a Glance—A Guide for Students and Parents
• Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Credits (IRS)

The law behind federal financial aid

The Higher Education Act authorizes these federal student assistance programs:

• the FFEL Program
• the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program
• Pell Grant
• TEACH Grant
• ACG/SMART Grant
• the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program
• Federal Work-Study
• Federal Perkins Loan Program
• Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership, and
• The Special Leveraging Education Assistance Partnership.

Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-244)

Information on changes to the federal student loan programs

We update our Regulatory Resources page as guidance becomes available, and as we gather information from the real world of financial aid.