On March 27, 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) in response to the public health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Under the CARES Act, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) suspended collections and interest charged on Department-held student loans beginning in March 2020. On…

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor invited postsecondary institutions to participate in an experiment to learn how federal financial aid might be used to cover the costs of prior learning assessment (PLA). PLA is the process of evaluating a student's prior workplace and experiential learning for academic credit. While the experiment is still…

Amid rising college tuition, low college-completion rates, and ever-changing employer demands for specialized skills, new forms of postsecondary education are gaining prominence. These "nontraditional" programs (such as coding boot camps) are typically short in duration and designed to prepare students for a particular occupation or…

Little is known about private student loan discrimination, in contrast to the relatively developed research on discrimination in other credit markets such as mortgages and credit cards. The private student lending market can play a key role in responding to changes in the policy or economic environment, and many students and their families turn to…

Many factors affect students selecting a university to attend and almost as many factors that can present challenges once they enroll and begin attending classes. Once they start taking courses, the next challenge is completing them, and this can be particularly taxing for online students. In the case of online universities, quality assessment…

This brief presents a review of research and current state practices as they relate to measures that Iowa might consider for its federal accountability indicator of school quality or student success--specifically, for inclusion within a composite index of postsecondary readiness. Section 1 of this brief introduces a framework for evaluating and…

Each year, Austin Independent School District Department of Research and Evaluation (DRE) staff develop a plan of work to describe the scope of work for the coming year. The plans that make up this document identify programs to be evaluated and services to be provided by DRE staff and provide the blueprints for evaluation that staff will follow…

A college degree is essential in our society, especially for students who historically have been left out of our higher education system. But with the current higher education information systems in place, it's difficult, if not impossible, for students and families to get the data they need to make an informed decision about the best institution…

January 2014, Governor Jerry Brown announced in his budget proposal an unprecedented line-item designation for student equity in community colleges. His proposal of $100 million for student equity set the stage for the past year and a half of enhanced activities locally and statewide on student equity issues. Most prominently, the 112 community…

This report contains the final products of the Student Services Program Review Project (SSPRP), which was designed to develop evaluation models to measure the efficacy of the various student services programs provided by the California community colleges. The first sections of the report offer introductory information on the goals and activities…

In September 1999, a pilot program of Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) was introduced in 15 local education authorities (LEAs) in England to provide payments to students aged 16-19 who are from low-income families and who are attending full-time courses in schools and colleges. Participants are entitled to 2 years' support and must be…

Four federal programs were investigated for inconsistencies in awarding financial aid to college students: the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Basic Educational Opportunity Grants, College Work-Study Program, and National Direct Student Loan Program. Their methods for determining student need and their legislative histories are…

An evaluation model for the student aid delivery system is described, and extensive tables that make up the model are presented. The model can be used to evaluate the effects of specific activities and subsystems of the delivery system for major participants, as well as to estimate the likely effects of activity changes. A conceptual model for…

The purpose and direction of the quality improvement program of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) are described. The improvement program was designed to develop a systematic approach to identify, measure, and correct errors in the student aid delivery system. Information is provided on the general approach…

This book tells how to build a system leading to more student success beginning in elementary school and continuing through high school and postsecondary education. It identifies the key elements, describes effective practices, and shows how they come together to help students and educators succeed. "More Student Success" is an updated and…