United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2005-01-21 monographic deposited born digital 67 p. GA 1.13:GAO-05-105 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-105 P0b002ee180394a52 f:d05105 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-105 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-105 GAO-05-105 Aid for education Data integrity Educational allowances Federal funds Federal grants Internal controls Student financial aid Student loans Taxes Work-study programs Department of Education PLUS Loan Program Other Written Product A16016 In 2003, the Department of Education (Education) proposed an update to the state and other tax allowance, a part of the federal need analysis for student financial aid. Most federal aid as well as some state and institutional aid is awarded based on the student's cost of attendance less the student's and/or family's ability to pay these costs--known as the expected family contribution (EFC). The allowance, which accounts for the amount of state and other taxes paid by students and families, effectively reduces the EFC. Given the potential impact of the allowance on the awarding of aid, we determined what factors have affected the updating of the tax data on which it is based, the effects the proposed 2003 update would have had on financial assistance for aid applicants, any limitations in the method for deriving the allowance, and strategies available to address them https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-105/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-105.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-105/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-105.pdf GAO-05-105 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-105 Other Written Product GAO-05-105; Student Financial Aid: Need Determination Could Be Enhanced through Improvements in Education's Estimate of Applicants' State Tax Payments; Aid for education Data integrity Educational allowances Federal funds Federal grants Internal controls Student financial aid Student loans Taxes Work-study programs Department of Education PLUS Loan Program