Financial Health

Lawmakers, government watchdogs question whether the Office of Federal Student Aid is up to the task of running the nation’s $1.2 trillion student loan system.

The tuition hikes and high federal borrowing and default rates that hit higher education in the recession's wake continue to stabilize and diminish, according to the College Board.

The new rules include a prohibition on overdraft fees for campus debit cards and a requirement for colleges to publicly disclose agreements with banks and other financial institutions.

Annual report finds a 2 percent uptick in undergraduates' student loan burdens, and a 56 percent increase over 10 years.

In a decision hailed by consumer advocates, a federal appeals court rules that a major student loan agency is not immune from lawsuits.

It will help students not only pay for college and develop skills in a real-world setting but also tackle important social issues, write Marvin Krislov and Robert Hackett.

The share of students defaulting on their federal loans within three years fell this year, as the Obama administration again made a controversial tweak to the default rates in ways that helped some colleges.