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The predictable rhythms of fall's arrival and students' return to New England's colleges and universities occurred in fairly normal fashion this year. Their arrival was preceded, however, by several months of uncertainty among college financial aid officers, stemming from the turbulence in global financial markets, the subprime lending crisis and stock market downturns.
In August 2008, in partnership with The New England Council, NEBHE surveyed financial aid officers from 214 of the region's campuses to determine whether students and families were able to secure higher education loans for academic year 2008-09.
Further, the survey sought to assess the impact of the "Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008" and to determine any other financing issues higher education institutions, students and families faced. (The complete report is available online at www.nebhe.org.)
Survey results revealed that students and parents experienced only limited problems accessing federal student loans for fall 2008. Survey respondents reported:
* No major concerns about the availability or adequacy of Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans made...