These hearings were concerned with the authorization of the Higher Education Act 1998 amendments. The hearing focused on affordability of postsecondary education, simplifying the student financial aid system, and academic quality for students. The document reports testimony of representatives of professional associations and Pennsylvania postsecondary institutions. Some of the views expressed included: the need to simplify the application process and eligibility for Title IV student financial aid programs; the need to continue equal access to Title IV funds for private career schools; the Pell Grant Program as the primary source of financial assistance for community college students; the confusion and wasted time caused by frequent regulatory changes and excessive communications to colleges by the Department of Education; the desirability of reviewing the current needs analysis system to determine whether all relevant data are being used to calculate the expected family contribution; campus-based aid programs (College Work-Study, Perkins Loans, and Student Educational Opportunity Grants) that are crucial for students who wish to attend independent colleges; and the various performance outcome measures that should be used in addition to loan default rates to ensure the educational quality and accountability of colleges. (SW)

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