Federal Student Aid Program. Bulletin, 1935, No. 14

The Federal student aid program is the first instance in American history in which the National Government has assisted needy youth to work their way through college. Inaugurated by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A.) the plan provides financial aid to qualified young men and women who lack sufficient funds to attend college. The students are required to perform actual work on a part-time basis in return for the money paid to them by the Government. The primary aim of the program is to keep up the supply of trained persons through the depression period, and to prevent these young people from suffering too heavily from idleness and deprivations. An important feature of the program was that the responsibility for its administration was vested in the individual colleges and universities through the county with a minimum of supervision from the relief authorities at the National and State capitals. Monthly allotments were made to them by F.E.R.A. The institutions were responsible for selecting the students to receive Federal aid, arranging for their part-time employment on and off the campus, assigning them suitable jobs, supervising their work, and other phases of the undertaking. All tax-exempt institutions of collegiate or university grade are entitled to participate in the program. Accordingly, a wide variety of colleges and universities are receiving Federal funds for student aid. As a result of this situation, the administration of the program is a different problem in each institution. The present study is intended to provide an analysis of the individual institutions taking part in the program and to give an account of the procedures adopted by them for its operation. The particular questions considered are: (1) Institutions participating in the program; (2) Form of organization to administer the program; (3) Assurance of need of students receiving aid; (4) Use of Federal money by students; (5) Special provisions for students to live cheaply; (6) Cost of living for students; (7) Administrative plans to provide part-time work for students; (8) Supervision of part-time work of students; (9) Intellectual ability and scholastic achievement of F.E.R.A. students; (10) Evaluation of program by individual institutions; and (11) Criticisms and suggestions for changes in the program. A copy of the Federal regulations governing the Federal student aid program is appended. (Contains 15 tables and 4 footnotes.) [Best copy available has been provided.]