Several factors may have contributed to the decline of historically black colleges and universities' (HBCUs) relative share of total Black student enrollment in postsecondary educational institutions, and there is no empirical evidence about their effects in the literature. The survival and growth of many HBCUs depend on their ability to maintain…

This study uses multilevel modeling to examine, after taking student-level predictors of enrollment into account, the effects of state public policies on the type of institution high school graduates attend. Four types of state policies (direct appropriations, tuition, financial aid, and K-12 academic preparation) influence the type of college…

In 1993, the creation of Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program accelerated interest in understanding the effects of merit-based student financial aid. This article compares a sample of "borderline" HOPE recipients (students just above the eligibility threshold) with similar nonrecipients to examine differences on four college performance outcomes.…

The reasons that some high school graduates choose to continue their studies and others do not are not well understood. Certainly there is universal agreement about the benefits of post-secondary studies accruing to both students and society as a whole. Increasing levels of education are associated with, among other things, better job…

Financial assistance for individuals attending college has existed in this country almost as long as higher education itself. Institutions awarded many of the earliest scholarships based on students' academic merit, with consideration often given to financial need. This practice was carried into the twentieth century, largely by private elite…

As politicians, academic leaders, and researchers decry the impact of college tuition fee increases for needy students, others say such concerns mask a more serious barrier for college aspirants: lack of academic preparation. The debate was renewed last week with the publication of a book from the Century Foundation analyzing the reasons…

"The Achiever" is a monthly publication for parents and community leaders. Each issue contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. Highlights of this issue include: (1) "No Child Left Behind": Key Focus in State of the Union; (2) A Shining Example: Using Mix of Strategies, Stanton Elementary…

This policy brief is based on a qualitative study of eight, low-income, urban, pre-college Latinas in California. Data for this study were collected using a narrative approach, guided by two questions: (1) What are the experiences of low-income, urban Latina students seeking financial aid to attend college?; and (2) Based on their efforts,…

Over the past 15 years, California has significantly increased fees for its residents attending the State's public colleges and universities. All three of California's public postsecondary education segments charge resident students a systemwide enrollment fee. In addition, the California State University and the University of California also…

This report describes the postsecondary enrollment trends for students in the Austin Independent School District graduating Classes of 2002 through 2006.

This qualitative report examines a successful public university program funded by the Avon Foundation to provide scholarship and support services to non-traditional female community college transfer students. Female commuter transfer students often manage multiple roles of parent, student, and employee while attending college. This article…

John Merrow, president of Learning Matters, Inc., has been reporting on K-12 education since 1974, but only recently has he begun to draw attention to higher education. This award-winning broadcaster is shedding light on the underbelly of higher education--and is arguing that something must be done before it's too late. This article presents the…

An examination of the mentoring component of the Committee Summer Research Opportunity Program, designed to inspire racially diverse faculty to encourage Black students to enroll in graduate programs and to mentor them is described. The overall intent was to describe how mentoring affects the professional socialization and career paths of Black…

The purpose of the study was to investigate the associations between first-time full-time freshmen's attributes and fall-to-fall retention at Northeast State Technical Community College. The 15 attributes included age, first-generation student status, gender, high school classification, race, the student's application date to the institution…

This is a resource list designed to alert administrators of student financial aid services at institutions of higher education to resources that can assist in responding to the challenges and strategies described in a companion report. It is organized alphabetically by topic. Listings include short bibliographic data and descriptions of each…