Charles Miller, the former chairman of the federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education, has written a letter to Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings that urges policy makers not to create new federal student-aid programs before completing a comprehensive review of the current system.

Citing studies under way by the Education Department, the Lumina Foundation for Education, and the College Board, among others, he writes: “It is very important that we encourage these efforts and allow the time to reach informed conclusions and develop strong, long-term strategies and policies.”

“It would be a tragic miscalculation to pour significant resources into new entitlement programs — whether from new taxes or reordered priorities — before completing this review process,” he adds.

Mr. Miller said the letter had not been prompted by any particular policy proposal and was directed more at the new Democrat-run Congress than at Secretary Spellings.

“I just wanted to say the worst thing we could do is shoot first, and ask questions later,” he said. “We have to rationalize the system.”

In its final report to the secretary last year, the commission recommended both a significant increase in need-based financial aid and a complete restructuring of the federal financial-aid system.