Washington — For the first time in its 20-year history, the federal government’s Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance is going to be led by a representative of a student-loan company.

Members of the committee, which describes itself as “an independent source of advice and counsel to Congress and the secretary of education on student financial-aid policy,” today elected Scott A. Giles of the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation as their new chairman for the coming year. His term begins Wednesday.

Mr. Giles serves as vice president for policy, research, and planning at Vermont Student Assistance, a nonprofit student-loan provider. Allison G. Jones, assistant vice chancellor of academic affairs in the California State University system, was elected vice chairman. Both were elected without debate and without dissent in a brief meeting of the advisory committee held by conference call.

The committee was formed by Congress in 1986 and began meeting in 1988. The House voted to eliminate the committee earlier this year as part of its reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The final enacted version of the bill retained the committee but required that its members serve single four-year terms that cannot be renewed. Its members — six appointed by Congressional leaders and five by the education secretary — previously were chosen for three-year terms, with no limit on renewals.

Congress also asked the advisory committee to undertake this coming year a thorough study of regulations that affect higher education. In addition, the committee enters a year in which Congress and the Education Department are expected to consider far-reaching structural changes in how the federal government delivers student financial assistance. The committee, however, has traditionally avoided directly evaluating methods of aid delivery because of potential business conflicts involving some of its members.

Mr. Giles said he hoped the committee under his leadership would continue trying to help students navigate the system of federal aid and consider the long-term value of a college education. “We try to look at this from the perspective of students and families,” he said. —Paul Basken