Indiana higher education head proposes changes to federal aid programs

Her proposals included:

• Federal financial aid programs should define a full course load as 15 credits, not 12.

• Federal assistance should only pay for a class if a student completes it.

• Federal aid should be available in the summer so a student can either catch up on credits or work ahead.

“We learned that financial aid policies drive institutional structures, which in turn drive student choices,” Lubbers testified to a Senate committee working on rewriting college aid programs.

Sen. Tom Harkin, the Iowa Democrat who heads the Senate education committee, said college costs have risen primarily because states have reduced financial support for public schools.