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Thomas A. Butts, an expert in financial aid and student loan programs, worked for the University of Michigan, 1964-1999. He served as Director of Student Financial Aid (1971-1977), policy advisor and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Student Financial Assistance for the federal government (1977-1981), and was responsible for government relations for the University of Michigan at the Washington D.C. office (1991-1999). The collection documents his work for the University of Michigan admissions office, office of orientation, office of financial aid, and Washington D.C. office of government relations, his work for the U.S. Department of Education, and the evolution of federal student financial aid legislation.

This collection would be of use for research into the role of Thomas Butts at the University of Michigan, the role of the University of Michigan in student financial aid policy, and the evolution of federal student loan policy generally. The collection is composed of six series. The first five correspond to the positions Thomas Butts held (Office of Admissions, Office of Orientation, Office of Financial Aid, U.S. Department of Education, and Washington D.C. Office) and a sixth series, Loans, contains information on specific loan programs. The Loans series especially provides insight into how laws are developed in the federal government, including the evolution of the Higher Education Act and the Direct Loan program. Thomas Butts was involved with many organizations, and a glossary of the main acronyms follows the scope and content note.

Thomas Wolanin was staff director for the US House Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education within the Education and Labor Committee. He later became assistant secretary for legislation and congressional affairs for the US Department of Education. The Wolanin Papers document the passage and implementation of the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program from 1989-1997.

This collection documents Wolanin's work with Representative Ford and the Department of Education on the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. The files have been arranged into four series all concerning Federal Direct Lending: Background and Analysis, Legislative Action, Implementation, and Correspondence.