Many students have concerns about the affordability of college, which may interfere with their potential success. However, foster care alumni have unique needs when making the transition into postsecondary enrollment. Compared to completion rates for the general population, postsecondary education outcomes for youth with foster care experience lag…

The outcomes states gain from investing in postsecondary financial aid programs remain hotly debated, leading to great interest in developing programs that are both cost-effective and productive in helping states meet goals. In the 2012-13 academic year, states collectively provided approximately $11.2 billion in financial aid to students enrolled…

Many states are experimenting with mechanisms for making college more affordable while maintaining quality and access. This report examines promising or innovative state programs to improve college affordability and credential attainment. Many of these approaches show innovative thinking and bear watching to see if they result in meaningful…

The Bright Futures Scholarship (BFS), Florida's lottery-funded, merit-based scholarship program, has been a source of both praise and criticism since its 1997 inception. Proponents of the scholarship assert the program has achieved the desired goals of making college more affordable for state residents and encouraging the brightest students to…

Bright Futures is a Florida-state-funded scholarship program that pays either 75% or 100%, depending on the scholarship level, for up to 132 credits hours in a 120-credit-hour program. Prepaid plans are purchased for a student prior to their attending college, and usually when the future college student is a young child. The plans guarantee the…

The 1990s ushered in a new age in state financial support for college students, with the rise of broad-based merit scholarships. Starting in the South and spreading from there, the premise of the "new generation" of programs was simple--states should be in the business of rewarding student performance, retaining the state's "best…

This report examines how seven merit scholarship programs in six southern states help increase participation in postsecondary education. The programs are: Florida Bright Futures; Georgia HOPE Scholarships; Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarships; Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program for Students; Maryland Science and Technology Scholarship…

Selected information is displayed in the form of charts, tables, and graphs about: (1) the State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG) program and other state-level student financial assistance programs; (2) the primary state agency or organization responsible for administering these programs; and (3) the general state characteristics relating to student…

In "Zelman v. Simmons-Harris," the Supreme Court of the US made it clear that governments do not unconstitutionally "establish" religion merely by permitting eligible students to use publicly funded scholarships to attend qualifying religious schools, so long as the students' parents are able to make a "true private…

This report presents the results of a review of all state student financial aid programs in Florida and presents recommendations concerning program consolidation. The review was designed to address a variety of aid-related issues, including unexpended financial aid resources, program consolidation, budget request and aid distribution procedures,…

This study examines the financial characteristics of students attending Florida's colleges and universities and how they pay for their education, based on a survey of more than 8,500 resident families with students enrolled in Florida colleges or universities during 1992-93. The study addresses the cost of Florida higher education, family income…

Data presented on the State University System (SUS) of Florida are presented in the form of tabular displays, charts, graphs, and a glossary. Preliminary sections list members of the State Board of Education and the Florida Board of Regents, provide a description of the State University System of Florida, and list measures used for reporting…

Data on the State University System (SUS) of Florida are presented in the form of tabular displays, charts, graphs, and a glossary. Preliminary sections list members of the State Board of Education and the Florida Board of Regents, provide a description of the State University System of Florida, and list measures used for reporting Florida…

This color coded fact book presents data on the State University System (SUS) of Florida in the form of tabular displays, charts, and graphs. Preliminary sections list members of the State Board of Education and the Florida Board of Regents and provide a description of the State University System of Florida. The nine major sections cover the…

Data on the State University System (SUS) of Florida are presented in the form of tabular displays, charts, and graphs. Preliminary sections list members of the State Board of Education and the Florida Board of Regents and provide a description of the State University System of Florida. The nine major sections cover the following areas: (1)…