Student financial aid
Subtitle: schools' experiences using the National Student Loan Data System : report to the chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of Representatives
By: United States General Accounting Office
Publisher: The Office; The Office, distributor
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Washington, D.C; Gaithersburg, MD (P.O. Box 6015, Gaithersburg 20884-6015)
Language: eng
Format: [microform] :
Number of pages: 60
Subjects: National Student Loan Data System (Information retrieval system); Student aid; Databases; Educational surveys
Other titles: Schools' experiences using the National Student Loan Data System
Description: This report presents results of a survey of 600 postsecondary schools concerning their use of the National Student Loan Data System (nslds). Nslds was developed to improve the quality and accessibility of student financial aid data, to reduce the burden on schools of administering the Department of Education's student financial aid programs, and to minimize fraud and abuse in these programs. The study found that postsecondary schools participating in federal student financial aid programs were making limited use of the nslds on-line and batch processing functions. It was estimated that almost half of the schools were not using these system capabilities at all, and more than half of the schools rarely or never performed seven of the ten tasks identified in the survey. The one use made of the system by most schools was to provide and update Student Status Confirmation Report (sscr) information. Schools not using nslds cited such reasons for non-use as relying on alternative methods or facing limitations in resources or staff skills. Appendices provide more detail on the survey responses, the study's methodology, and the major student financial aid systems. Also appended are comments on the report from the Department of Education and the General Accounting Office's response. (Db).
Notes: Cover title.

Shipping list no.: 99-0670-M.

"September 1998."

"GAO/HEHS-98-192."

"B-280409"--P. 1.