Undergraduates are sacrificing the full experience of college to other priorities and the major detractor is off-campus work. Faculty complain that jobs take time from studies and extracurricular activities; job schedules constrain a teacher's ability to confer with students, to arrange field trips, and student time in the library. (MLW)

Almost one of every seven persons who gets a high school-completion credential does so through the tests of General Educational Development (GED). A study based on figures gleaned from the annual reports of the GED Testing Service is reported. (MLW)

The five-volume Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States, the most authoritative academic quality ranking ever done, is discussed. The Assessment covers 2,699 programs in 32 disciplines and assesses a faculty's reputation for scholarly quality. Improvements in programs' reputations are also discussed. (MLW)

In 1977, the National Institute of Education commissioned a study to address consumer protection concerns regarding external degree programs. Important findings are summarized and include the conclusion that the opportunity to have credits accepted for prior college work is a major attraction to external degree seekers. (JMD)

A three-year case study of education at "Oakwood Community College," an anonymous urban institution with an open access admissions policy, is described. What is happening to the students at open-access institutions, their learning styles, their objectives, their behavior, and whether these students are serviced or taught is discussed.…

The recent history of trends affecting the affordability of college are summarized. A better balance needs to be established between loan and grant support for students. The Stafford Student Loan Program (formerly the Guaranteed Student Loan Program) and the Reishauer HELP program are discussed. (MLW)

The trend toward an increasing proportion of research and doctoral institutions in higher education is examined, based on an analysis of changes in Carnegie classifications since 1976. Results suggest that the graduate/research model and the prestige associated with doctorate-level education are strongly attractive, despite pressures to…

College costs, methods of payment, and how the pressure to make money may be shaping enrollment patterns are reviewed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. There is some evidence that students who take sizable loans may major in such fields as business, engineering, and allied health, which offer higher salaries. (MLW)