Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1984. / Title from title page screen, viewed May 26, 2005. Dissertation Committee: John McCarthy (chair), Kenneth Strand, Edward Hines, Mary Ann Lynn, Dale Jackson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-145) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D. in Leadership and Policy Studies)--Vanderbilt University, May 2006. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this study was to describe the state competitive scholarship programs of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and West Virginia. The coordination and the impact of the respective programs at selected public and non-public colleges and universities within the four states were also studied. The description of the state competitive scholarship programs consisted of the: (1) origin and purpose, (2) superior body and professional staff, (3) selection of the recipients, (4) growth, (5) administration, (6) state grant and/or state loan program(s), (7) problems, (8) recommendations, and (9) future directions. The descriptive information was gathered by private interviews with each of the four state competitive scholarship directors and the eight college student financial aid directors.The review of related literature consisted of three parts: (1) the significance of the state scholarship programs, (2) the National Association of State Scholarship Programs, (3) federal student financial aid programs.The conclusions of the study were:1. The state competitive scholarship programs have a common objective to assist qualified students obtain a college education.2. The monetary scholarships are awarded according to academic ability and demonstrated financial need relative to the approved college choice.3. Applicants who are academically qualified but unable to demonstrate financial need are awarded honorary scholarships.4. Sufficient monies should be available to assist applicants at in-state institutions before consideration be given to using scholarships at out-of-state institutions.5. Concentrated efforts are made to simplify application procedures for state scholarships.6. The state scholarship programs are free from political pressure in the selection of recipients.7. The state grant awards should be used at approved public and non-public institutions.8. The state grant program should make awards on the demonstration of financial need relative to the approved college choice.9. The state loan program should make student loans only on the basis of financial need.10. The state scholarship program directors agreed that the:A. high school counselors are instrumental in the success of the state scholarship program;B. high school counselors should meet at least annually with the state scholarship personnel;C. college student financial aids officers usually coordinate the state scholarship programs satisfactorily;D. college student financial aids officers should meet at least annually with the state scholarship personnel;E. college student financial aids officer who is a generalist is more competent than a specialist11. The college student financial aids officers were in disagreement regarding the success of the state scholarship program in providing a free choice of colleges within the state.12. The college student financial aids directors agreed that an institutional scholarship should beto a state scholar if the additional need was demonstrated.13. Coordination should exist between the United States Office of Education and the state scholarship offices since the mutual concern is to financially assist qualified applicants.A recommended basic design for a state competitive scholarship program was a part of the study. The design was primarily based upon the characteristics of the Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and West Virginia programs.The recommendations for further study are:1. A descriptive study of selected competitive scholarship programs of states which have membership another geographical association of student financial aid administrators.2. An in-depth study of the grant programs which are administered by the state scholarship commissions.3. A study to analyze a state scholarship or grant program for graduate students.4. An attitudinal study of former college students who are now repaying the guaranteed bank loans.5. A study to determine why there has been no apparent coordination between the federal government and the state scholarship commissions.

Thesis (M.S.E.)--University of Wisconsin -- La Crosse, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 44-45).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-178). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / This study was about the change of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) administration system from a decentralised to a centralised one. The aim was to investigate the shift of the NSFAS administration system and its effect on the students' academic progress and overall well-being in the learning process at a historically Black university in the Western Cape Province. The study had three objectives. Firstly, to examine the efficacy of the NSFAS centralised application process. Secondly, to determine the impact of the process on the students' academic progress and overall well-being in the learning process. Lastly, to propose recommendations for the streamlining of the application process so that the negative impact on the students' academic performance be minimised or prevented.

A college degree provides benefits to individuals and society, but education is an expensive endeavor. College costs are high and they continue to rise while the median family income shows only modest increases. By lowering the cost of attendance, financial aid makes it possible for many students, especially those from low and middle-income families to attend college. FAFSA is the main instrument used in distributing financial assistance although completing the form is not an easy task. Each year, many students do not file the FAFSA or file it too late, missing valuable financial resources. The focus of this research was on students who file FAFSA late. The purpose of the study was two-fold: to explore the relationship between the timing of FASFA filing and the characteristics of financial aid applicants, and to assess the impact of late filing on student finances. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine how much of the variation in timing of FAFSA filing could be explained by students characteristics. The findings indicate late FAFSA filers tend to be in-state, male students, coming from single households, with weak high school academic performance. Focusing on low-income group, the study found the odds of filing late were nearly 2.8 times higher for in-state students than they were for out-of-state students. Being male increased the chances of late filing; the odds of filing late for low-income male students were 1.53 times higher than they were for low-income females. The impact of late FAFSA filing on student finances was assessed through linear regression analyses. The results show late filers received less grant aid but larger loan amounts. Compared to on time filers, late FAFSA filers received, on average, $2,815 less in grant aid and $662 more in loans. The current study shed light on several key factors that make students more likely to miss the FAFSA deadlines. In addition, it demonstrated that late filing has major financial consequences for students and their families. The findings can be used by high school guidance offices, college administrators, state and federal governments, and higher education leaders concerned with improving college affordability. / Ph. D. / Higher education provides benefits to individuals and society. Benefits aside, education is expensive, and most students need financial assistance to offset the college price. By lowering the cost of attendance, financial aid makes it possible for many students, especially those from low and middle income families to attend college. Financial assistance is key for a successful degree completion, while FAFSA remains the main instrument used to distribute the aid. Filing a FAFSA is a critical step in securing financial assistance, although completing the form is not an easy task. The combination of several barriers such as complexity of the form, confusing deadlines, low predictability, and lack of information about the student aid system make the FAFSA application process challenging. Because of that, many students fail to complete or file the FAFSA on time. However, due to limited resources, the timing of the FAFSA filing matters. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the timing of FAFSA filing and characteristics of financial aid recipients. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine how much of the variation in timing of FAFSA filing could be explained by students demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The findings indicate late FAFSA filers tend to be in-state, male students, coming from single households, with weak high school academic performance. Additionally, the current study assessed the impact of late FAFSA filing on the amount of grants and loans received by the applicants in their first year in college. The results of the impact assessment show late FAFSA filers received significantly more loans and less grant aid. The current study identified key factors that make students more likely to file a late FAFSA. It also demonstrated that late filing has major financial consequences for students and their families. The findings can be used by high school guidance offices, college administrators, state and federal governments, and higher education leaders concerned with improving college affordability.

by Loh Shing Wai. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-54). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.vi / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Technology Transfer --- p.1 / Purpose of Study --- p.3 / Scope of Study --- p.5 / Approach and Methodology --- p.5 / Chapter II. --- BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF THE STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISATANCE AGENCY --- p.7 / Historical Background --- p.7 / Organization Structure and Staffing --- p.9 / "Vision, Mission and Values" --- p.10 / Corporate Culture --- p.12 / Local Student Finance Scheme --- p.13 / Chapter III. --- ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS --- p.15 / External Environment --- p.15 / Internal Environment --- p.16 / Chapter IV --- STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM --- p.18 / Existing IT Environment --- p.18 / Development of Proposed System --- p.19 / System Objectives --- p.20 / Project Schedule --- p.20 / Project Control --- p.21 / Development Approach --- p.22 / Chapter V. --- FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS / IT Project Implementation Issues --- p.23 / Merging the Islands of Automation --- p.23 / Assimilating Emerging Technologies --- p.23 / Partnership of Three Constituencies --- p.24 / Findings --- p.25 / Analysis --- p.26 / Leadership --- p.26 / Business Changes --- p.28 / Project Team --- p.29 / Team Spirit --- p.31 / Lack of Confidence --- p.31 / Comments from Focus Group --- p.33 / Chapter VI. --- CONCLUSION --- p.35 / Chapter VII. --- POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATION --- p.38 / Leadership Style --- p.38 / Roles of Senior Manager --- p.39 / User Representative --- p.39 / Project Team --- p.40 / Communication Strategy --- p.40 / User Training --- p.44 / User Manuals/Documentation --- p.44 / APPENDICES --- p.45 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.49

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / This study investigated the administration of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for undergraduate students and its impact on the students' academic progress at a Historically Black University (HBU) in the Western Cape Province. It therefore dealt with the students' inability to fund their university education and the challenges they experienced because of the way in which NSFAS was administered at the university. The aim of the study was to investigate how the financial assistance received from NSFAS, or a lack thereof, impacted on the students' academic progress, and ultimately, their retention and success. The objective was to arrive at recommendations that could improve the process and enable the students to concentrate on their academic studies without financial stress and agony.

NSFAS is a government-funded scheme that was established in 1996 with the objective of assisting financially needy students who are able to perform well academically, but are financially disadvantaged, and cannot afford higher education. The scheme was introduced as a mechanism to develop the country’s human capital and to also eradicate inequalities leading to poverty, crime, skill shortages and high levels of unemployment. This research was encouraged by the realization of the high drop-out rates amongst students funded by NSFAS. The research, therefore, wanted to investigate the adequacy of NSFAS in qualification completion, specifically at NMMU. In order to elicit responses from participants, a mixed method, with both quantitative and qualitative approaches was preferred. Questionnaires containing closed and open-ended questions were used as instruments for collecting data from participants. The study used a selected group of participants, with certain characteristics; and hence, the study was a purposive study. Five main areas were formulated as a framework to present the findings. The five areas involved the economic background of parents of NSFAS recipients, challenges faced by NSFAS recipients, as well as to determine whether NSFAS recipients were motivated to work hard as a result of attaining financial assistance. The last two areas involved reasons for NSFAS recipients to drop out and lastly the available support for NSFAS recipients. In relation to the economic background of parents of NSFAS recipients, findings revealed that almost 50 percent of their guardians were employed, with 26 percent of them being in skilled positions. The challenges faced by NSFAS recipients, were revealed, as being both academic and financial. About 52 percent of participants did not obtain full funding; and therefore, were expected to contribute towards their uncovered expenses. These participants were eventually faced with financial challenges that led them to drop out. To determine whether participants were motivated to work hard, as a result of acquiring financial assistance from NSFAS, about 52 percent of participants agreed to have received financial relief from NSFAS, but were not motivated to work hard. Findings revealed different reasons that led students funded by NSFAS to drop out before qualifying. The reasons included less Lecturer support (17.6 percent), unbearable workload (51.8 percent), bad qualification choice and financial challenges (21.4 percent). The last main area focused on available support from NSFAS as an Organisation to its recipients. Findings revealed no structured support system in place from NSFAS that was directed specifically to see its recipients succeed. Findings of the study can be used to identify students funded by NSFAS who might drop out before finishing their intended qualification. The findings could also guide NSFAS on what the student requirements are – in order to qualify. Recommendations on drop-out reductions and retention successes from local and international countries are provided. Further recommendations directed to NSFAS as a provider and it’s recipients are also provided.