Federal Student Loan Program Timeline
1958
First federal student loan program established by the National Defense Education Act. Loans are direct loans capitalized by U.S. Treasury funds.
1965
Government established new student loan program provided through loan guarantees.
1990
Federal Credit Reform Act adopted. Requires subsidy estimates for all federal loans, guaranteed and direct.
1992
Direct lending pilot program created
1993
Legislation passed to phase in direct lending.
1994
Department of Education barred from encouraging or requiring colleges to switch to Direct Loans. As a result, Direct Loans' share of new student loans begins decreasing.
2007
Direct Loans hit lowest share of all new student loans since the second year of the program
2008
Credit market disruptions cause schools to switch to Direct Loans, and Direct Loan volume as a share of federal student loan volume increases.
2009
President Obama proposes eliminating the FFEL program. All federal student loans would be made as Direct Loans.
2010
Legislation enacted eliminating the FFEL program. All new federal student loans as of July 2010 have been made as Direct Loans.