Workforce development in the United States today is spread across higher education institutions (primarily public two-year and for-profit colleges), labor market institutions, and workplaces, with public funding from a range of sources. But outcomes for students and workers are weaker than they could be, especially among disadvantaged students and…

Growing concern over the complexity of the federal financial aid system and a push toward simplification has led to increased attention toward streamlining the federal student aid programs. Specifically, several proposals and policy papers have recommended consolidating the federal aid programs into one grant program and one loan program, commonly…

The federal role in higher education has grown over the past two decades, and now a new administration has the opportunity to strengthen policies that support students and their colleges and universities. To help inform these decisions, the Urban Institute convened a bipartisan group of scholars and policy advisers to write a series of memos…

MDRC is pleased to have this opportunity to provide additional information for the consideration of Chairman Alexander, Ranking Member Murray, and members of the Committee on ways research can be used to improve the academic success of low-income college students. The goal of this additional testimony is to reiterate the second recommendation in…

The social, economic, political, historical, and racial context shaping the criminal justice system is complex and extensive. As a result, individuals who have been incarcerated face limited opportunities--particularly for education and training--both during and after incarceration. Historical investments in corrections and policies that…

This brief examines how California is aligning education and training opportunities for people who are currently or formerly incarcerated. It is the first report in our series "Reconnecting Justice in the States," which will explore coordinated justice, education, and workforce policy and practice at the state level. It is part of…

Access to college has increased substantially over the last 50 years, but student success--defined as the combination of academic success and degree or certificate completion--has not kept pace. Student success, moreover, generally correlates with students' financial resources: Students from high-income families attend and complete college at…

Any reform of federal student aid must address the twin challenges of college affordability and completion, which are inextricably linked. Here, CLASP has proposed ways to redirect existing federal student aid spending toward the low- and modest income families who need it most. These are the students for whom federal aid makes a difference in…

This article discusses the recent changes to the Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA), P.L. 110-315, which have resulted in providing greater access to college programs to students with intellectual disabilities (ID). Prior to the amendments to HEOA, only students who were enrolled full time in a degree bearing program were eligible to…

According to Sheldon Danziger and David Ratner, changes in the labor market over the past thirty-five years, such as labor-saving technological changes, increased globalization, declining unionization, and the failure of the minimum wage to keep up with inflation, have made it more difficult for young adults to attain the economic stability and…

The purpose and direction of the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) quality improvement program are described. The background and context for the Pell Grant quality control (QC) design study and the meaning of QC are reviewed. The general approach to quality improvement consists of the following elements: a strategic approach that enables OSFA…

An ongoing corrective action framework for the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) is presented. Attention is directed to the formal management structure in OSFA and current initiatives to improve management, and the placement of the corrective action process in the organizational hierarchy. Four formal mechanisms needed to implement the…

The impacts of legislated changes in both program recipients and federal costs of the Pell Grant Program are analyzed, such as the resulting numbers of dependent and independent recipients. These include the changes in award amounts received by students and the effects of particular new provisions of the grant program on its costs. (Author/MSE)

Proposed changes in student financial aid for fiscal year (FY) 1986 and their likely effects on higher education are discussed. The Reagan Administration's FY 1986 budget recommends a 25% cut for higher education, or $2.3 billion below the adjusted FY 1985 level of $8.8 billion. All but $100 million of the cuts would come from student aid, and…

Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is considered in this report of a hearing. Factors that affect students' financing of their college studies in Washington are addressed, including the tax structure, tuition, and the state's financial system. Recommendations for the legislation include: fund student financial aid at levels that…