The significance of non-cognitive factors used in determining recipients for federal financial aid awards in the Southwest

Abstract

The spiraling cost of a college education has caused the federal government to become increasingly aware of the economic needs of many students. To meet this challenge, established financial aid programs are constantly being reviewed and revised. Most college financial aid administrators, adhering to federal guidelines, are conscientiously endeavoring to assist students to receive federal financial aid. The study reveals varying degrees of contrasting interpretations of guidelines when non-cognitive factors are introduced to the decision-making process. On specific points, public and private colleges may differ somewhat, but in most cases this contrast is negligible. Colleges with undergraduate enrollments of fewer than eight thousand students, as opposed to larger colleges, are more cognizant of the financial needs of their individual students. The study notes that eighty-eight percent of the participating colleges have undergraduate enrollments of fewer than eight thousand students. Colleges in the Southwest Region, which consisted of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, most often utilize the "packaging" concept in administering a variety of financial aid programs to students, in order to enable them to meet financial obligations. Regardless of the type of financial aid program a student receives, most colleges in this region encourage recipients to repay loans within a shorter duration than that required by the United states Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The study also examines specific situations which confront a financial aid administrator. Most administrators are not opposed to offering federal financial aid to recently married students, but the administrators consider the possession of a late model car as a negative factor in qualifying for financial aid..