This timely volume objectively addresses the major issues and questions raised about student aid programs. It examines the realities of student loans and provides a balanced analysis of the present and future prospects for financing higher education. Educators, guarantee agency administrators, and state and federal officials analyze student indebtedness and the repayment of loans. They evaluate how five other industrialized nations structure grants and education loan programs and address the challenging problem of extending opportunities for higher education to low-income students. The vital need for support in the application process and for debt management counseling in high schools and colleges is discussed, as is innovative private sector support. A necessary resource for everyone concerned with higher education issues.