The State of College Access and Completion

The State of College Access and Completion PDF Author: Laura W. Perna
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135106703
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
Despite decades of substantial investments by the federal government, state governments, colleges and universities, and private foundations, students from low-income families as well as racial and ethnic minority groups continue to have substantially lower levels of postsecondary educational attainment than individuals from other groups. The State of College Access and Completion draws together leading researchers nationwide to summarize the state of college access and success and to provide recommendations for how institutional leaders and policymakers can effectively improve the entire spectrum of college access and completion. Springboarding from a seminar series organized by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, chapter authors explore what is known and not known from existing research about how to improve student success. This much-needed book calls explicit attention to the state of college access and success not only for traditional college-age students, but also for the substantial and growing number of "nontraditional" students. Describing trends in various outcomes along the pathway from college access to completion, this volume documents persisting gaps in outcomes based on students’ demographic characteristics and offers recommendations for strategies to raise student attainment. Graduate students, scholars, and researchers in higher education will find The State of College Access and Completion to be an important and timely resource.

The State of College Access and Completion

The State of College Access and Completion PDF Author: Laura W. Perna
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135106703
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 244

Get Book

Book Description
Despite decades of substantial investments by the federal government, state governments, colleges and universities, and private foundations, students from low-income families as well as racial and ethnic minority groups continue to have substantially lower levels of postsecondary educational attainment than individuals from other groups. The State of College Access and Completion draws together leading researchers nationwide to summarize the state of college access and success and to provide recommendations for how institutional leaders and policymakers can effectively improve the entire spectrum of college access and completion. Springboarding from a seminar series organized by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, chapter authors explore what is known and not known from existing research about how to improve student success. This much-needed book calls explicit attention to the state of college access and success not only for traditional college-age students, but also for the substantial and growing number of "nontraditional" students. Describing trends in various outcomes along the pathway from college access to completion, this volume documents persisting gaps in outcomes based on students’ demographic characteristics and offers recommendations for strategies to raise student attainment. Graduate students, scholars, and researchers in higher education will find The State of College Access and Completion to be an important and timely resource.

College Readiness and College Completion at Broad Access Four-Year Institutions

College Readiness and College Completion at Broad Access Four-Year Institutions PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Many students arrive at college unprepared to do college-level work, facing a host of college readiness assessments and developmental education coursework. In this article, we examine how a student's readiness to take college classes upon entry to the university is related to four longer term postsecondary outcomes. We utilize a unique longitudinal dataset of the census of first-time freshmen at the nation's largest public 4-year state postsecondary system to describe differences by campus and across college majors. In addition we explore the use of one measure that the system does not currently use to determine readiness—high school grade point average—and its relationship with both the existing readiness measure and postsecondary outcomes. Our results indicate that grade point average can be a useful predictor of college success above and beyond the readiness measure.

The Attainment Agenda

The Attainment Agenda PDF Author: Laura W. Perna
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421414074
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
How state leadership determines effective higher education attainment. Although the federal government invests substantial resources into student financial aid, states have the primary responsibility for policies that raise overall higher educational attainment and improve equity across groups. The importance of understanding how states may accomplish these goals has never been greater, as educational attainment is increasingly required for economic and social well-being of individuals and society. Drawing on data collected from case studies of the relationship between public policy and higher education performance in five states—Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Texas, and Washington—The Attainment Agenda offers a framework for understanding how state public policy can effectively promote educational attainment. Laura W. Perna and Joni E. Finney argue that there is no silver bullet to improve higher education attainment. Instead, achieving the required levels of attainment demands a comprehensive approach. State leaders must consider how performance in one area (such as degree completion) is connected to performance in other areas (such as preparation or affordability), how particular policies interact to produce expected and unexpected outcomes, and how policy approaches must be adapted to reflect their particular context. The authors call for greater attention to the state role in providing policy leadership to advance a cohesive public agenda for higher education and adopting public policies that not only increase the demand for and supply of higher education but also level the playing field for higher educational opportunity. The insights offered in The Attainment Agenda have important implications for public policymakers, college and university leaders, and educational researchers interested in ensuring sustained higher education attainment.

College Access

College Access PDF Author: Michael S. McPherson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
Michael S. McPherson is president of The Spencer Foundation in Chicago, a foundation that researches how education can be improved. He is a former president of Macalester College in Minnesota. A nationally known economist who focuses on the interplay between education and economics, McPherson is the coauthor of "Economic Analyses and Moral Philosophy." Morton Owen Schapiro has been president of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, since 2000. An authority on the economics of higher education, he has written more than 50 articles and has coauthored five books with Michael McPherson, including "The Student Aid Game "and "Keeping College Affordable." America is often seen as a land of golden opportunity, but for many young people the statistics on college enrollment paint a different picture: Students from low-income families are less likely to graduate from high school and go on to college, and low-income students who do attend a post-secondary institution are most likely to enroll in public community college rather than an elite school. "College Access": "Opportunity or Privilege?" addresses the problem of unequal educational opportunity in the U.S. through essays and studies detailing the disadvantages of our country's low-income students. Back by quantitative data and expert analyses, "College Access" highlights the underlying problems while presenting opportunities for positive change. The authors, analysts of higher education and economic policy, discuss various models colleges can use to educate low-income students and argue that it is imperative to give these students full access to high cost colleges as well as low cost ones in order for the country to remain globally competitive. "Michael McPherson and Morton Owen Schapiro have been joined by sixteen other scholars to produce an important and useful book that presents an integrated, data-rich view of the realities and issues regarding access to higher education in America. It considers three sweeping themes: the future of affirmative action in admissions, the financial and educational issues regarding college attendance by low-income students, and policy recommendations to improve college attendance by low-income level students. It is of great importance to policymakers and educational leaders."--Charles M. Vest, Professor and President Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "Michael McPherson and Morton Owen Schapiro have been joined by sixteen other scholars to produce an important and useful book that presents an integrated, data-rich view of the realities and issues regarding access to higher education in America. It considers three sweeping themes: the future of affirmative action in admissions, the financial and educational issues regarding college attendance by low-income students, and policy recommendations to improve college attendance by low-income level students. It is of great importance to policymakers and educational leaders."--Charles M. Vest, Professor and President Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "This book shines important new light on the issue of economic inequality in postsecondary education in the United States. But of equal importance, it shows practical ways for effectively tackling this devastating national problem. I hope it will serve as a spur for us to build the coalition that is needed to bring real change."--Bob Wise, President, Alliance for Excellent Education, and former Governor of West Virginia "Building on the contributions of the book "Excellence and Equity in American Higher Education," "College "takes an important next step toward achieving access to college for low-income students. It gives us a comprehensive and nuanced look at the institutional, political, and societal factors creating inequality in our higher education system. This is a great book and a valuable guide, not only for all those working to expand educational opportunity in this country, but for anyone interested in social science."--Lester Monts, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, University of Michigan "Michael McPherson and Morton Schapiro are uniquely positioned to shed light on the distressing and persistent inequalities in educational opportunity in the United States. They and the impressive group of co-authors provide invaluable background and insights into the barriers facing low- and moderate-income students. This book will strengthen the efforts of policymakers, higher education professionals, researchers, and student advocates whose partnership is required to develop constructive solutions to these pressing social problems."--Sandy Baum, Professor of Economics, Skidmore College

Debt-Free Degree

Debt-Free Degree PDF Author: Anthony ONeal
Publisher: Ramsey Press
ISBN: 1942121121
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
Every parent wants the best for their child. That’s why they send them to college! But most parents struggle to pay for school and end up turning to student loans. That’s why the majority of graduates walk away with $35,000 in student loan debt and no clue what that debt will really cost them.1 Student loan debt doesn’t open doors for young adults—it closes them. They postpone getting married and starting a family. That debt even takes away their freedom to pursue their dreams. But there is a different way. Going to college without student loans is possible! In Debt-Free Degree, Anthony ONeal teaches parents how to get their child through school without debt, even if they haven’t saved for it. He also shows parents: *How to prepare their child for college *Which classes to take in high school *How and when to take the ACT and SAT *The right way to do college visits *How to choose a major A college education is supposed to prepare a graduate for their future, not rob them of their paycheck and freedom for decades. Debt-Free Degree shows parents how to pay cash for college and set their child up to succeed for life.

Empty Promises

Empty Promises PDF Author: United States. Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : College attendance
Languages : en
Pages : 70

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Book Description


The States and Public Higher Education Policy

The States and Public Higher Education Policy PDF Author: Donald E. Heller
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 142140477X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
Affordability, access, and accountability have long been among the central challenges facing higher education—and they remain so today. Here, Donald E. Heller and other higher education scholars and practitioners explore the current debates surrounding these key issues. As students and their families struggle to meet rising tuition prices, and as state funding for higher education dwindles, policymakers confront issues of affordability within state and institutional budgets. Changing demographics and challenges to affirmative action complicate the admissions process even as colleges and universities seek to diversify enrollments. And issues of institutional accountability have forced the restructuring of higher education governing boards and a reexamination of the role of public trustees in governance. This collection analyzes how issues of affordability, access, and accountability influence the way in which state governments approach, monitor, and set public higher education policy. The contributors examine the latest research on pressing challenges, explore how states are coping with these challenges, and consider what the future holds for public postsecondary education in the United States.

The Role of State Policy in Promoting College Access and Success

The Role of State Policy in Promoting College Access and Success PDF Author: Michael K. McLendon
Publisher: SAGE Publications, Incorporated
ISBN: 9781483380032
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Today more than ever, higher education is profoundly important to the prosperity of U.S. society. It is increasingly required for jobs; produces higher earnings, which spurs economic growth; and encourages civic engagement, which strengthens the foundation of democracy. Although the benefits are clear, educational attainment in the United States has stalled. The United States trails its peers substantially, limiting its international competitiveness, and educational disparity exists across socioeconomic groups within the United States, furthering inequality of many kinds. The key to reversing this trend lies in policy innovations within higher education. This volume of The ANNALS offers theoretically grounded empirical analysis of the impact of public policy on higher education. The collection of articles examines the effects of state policy on student readiness for, participation in, and completion of college, in addition to college affordability. The authors also identify theoretical and methodological approaches for future research to help improve policies and higher education attainment in the states.

The B. A. Breakthrough

The B. A. Breakthrough PDF Author: Richard Whitmire
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780578438511
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


The College Completion Agenda: Practical Approaches for Reaching the Big Goal

The College Completion Agenda: Practical Approaches for Reaching the Big Goal PDF Author: Brad C. Phillips
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118862244
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 86

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Book Description
This volume provides practical ways colleges can focus on the College Completion Agenda. Originally begun as an economic workforce issue for the Obama administration, the College Completion Agenda has been adopted by myriad educational institutions, public and private funders, and others. The identified “Big Goal” is to increase the proportion of Americans with high quality college degrees and credentials from 39% of the population to 60% by 2025. To date, much advice has been offered to colleges about what the issues are and what needs to be done. However, there is considerable work being done at colleges around the country to address the identified issues. This volume introduces some of these policies and practices—the thinking behind them, research supporting them, roles to be fulfilled, and impact on the student experience This is the 164th volume of this Jossey-Bass higher education quarterly report series, an essential guide for presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other leaders in today's open-door institutions, this quarterly provides expert guidance in meeting the challenges of their distinctive and expanding educational mission.