This mixed-methods study examined characteristics and learning experiences of student veterans who transitioned from community college(s) into a 4-year public university. The study descriptively compared veteran versus non-veteran transfer students, using a survey and follow-up interviews. Results illustrated that student veterans attended larger…

Using data from the Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program Survey of Cohorts 1, 2, 3 and 5, this study analyzed the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) scholars to learn more about the experiences and outcomes of Native college students who receive the GMS scholarship. Specifically, the variables studied were perceptions of student-faculty…

This study aimed to replicate, revise, and validate the model of Institutional Performance in Graduation Rate developed by Fung based on Tinto and Astin theories. The sample included 706 public, 4-year, Title IV postsecondary institutions in the United States. Two CFA-SEM models were conducted with the IPEDS 2011-2017 data. The relationships among…

Federal Student Aid (FSA), a principal office of the United States (U.S.) Department of Education (Department), is required by law to produce an annual report, which details the organization's fiscal year financial and program performance. The Federal Student Aid FY 2024 Annual Report (Annual Report) is a comprehensive document that provides an…

Food insecurity is widespread among college students in the United States. Food benefits delivered through the CalFresh program, California's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), can reduce hunger by helping students pay for groceries, but may not reach all eligible students. To date, higher education systems…

In light of the increasing number of rural community colleges offering their own baccalaureate programs, the goal of this paper was to examine if and to what extent rural baccalaureate degree-granting community colleges have institutionalized financial aid programs/resources for baccalaureate degree-seeking students. Findings reveal that while…

This article uses a sample of 13,643 students attending a 4-year state university in Florida to estimate a selection-bias corrected quantile regression of loan debt at graduation. The study investigates whether the debt levels of students who received the Florida Bright Futures (FBF) scholarship are significantly different from the debt levels of…

Access to Britain's highly-resourced private schools matters because of concerns surrounding social mobility. Using the UK Family Resources Survey, we document a high and mostly stable income concentration of private school access since 1997. Nevertheless, some low-income participation persists. Bursaries are income-progressive but cannot account…

High-achieving, low-income students attend selective colleges at far lower rates than upper-income students with similar achievement. Behavioral biases, intensified by complexity and uncertainty in the admissions and aid process, may explain this gap. In a large-scale experiment we test an early commitment of free tuition at a flagship university.…

People who are impacted by the criminal justice system ("system-impacted") face barriers when seeking financial aid to pay for college. Between the late 1960s and the early 2000s, Congress created laws that prohibited incarcerated students and students with certain criminal convictions from receiving federal grants and loans. This paper…

Communities with more college degrees have higher incomes, less reliance on social services, and greater economic growth. To ensure that Michigan's workforce has the skills needed for the modern economy, the state's leaders must build a financial aid system that helps families cover college costs. However, disjointed program designs, maintenance…

All Texans deserve access to affordable, high-quality learning opportunities that lead to credentials of value--postsecondary credentials that will unlock their potential, help them provide for their families, and pursue their dreams. Helping students understand the financial choices they will make before, during and after their postsecondary…

States invest in public higher education in two primary ways: through direct funds to institutions (general operating support) and direct funds to students in the form of state financial aid programs (student grant aid). General operating support is the larger of the two funding categories, totaling $80.8 billion in 2019, while state financial aid…

On the campaign trail, President Joe Biden's higher education agenda featured prominent promises to forgive student loan debt and make community college debt free. But as Congress continues to debate these high-profile proposals, Biden's Department of Education has signaled its intent to use a little known yet powerful regulatory process to take…

Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) are private savings accounts funded by a deposit from the state government and managed by a parent. The deposit amount varies from state to state and is typically based on the state's per-pupil amount. To use an ESA, parents withdraw their child from the public school system and use ESA funds to purchase specified…