ABSTRACT
The original purpose of the student assistance program was to provide lower-income persons with access to a college education. Financial assistance is provided through grants-in-aid, part-time employment, and deferrable loans. At each participating university, a financial aid office determines the type and amount of assistance available to each student. Students with exceptional financial need are eligible for additional assistance through the supplemental educational opportunity grant program. Grant assistance is also provided through the state student incentive grant program, in which the federal government encourages states to provide grants to needy students by matching state expenditures dollar for dollar. All student assistance programs are authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. The Middle-Income Student Assistance Act of 1978 expanded program eligibility to include students from middle-income families. The fiscal year 1983 budget proposes a significant reduction in the student assistance program.
