Strategies include cutting costs to make college more attractive, building financial aid by raising tuition, seeking more government assistance, raising the perceived value of higher education, and raising the actual value of higher education. (MSE)

Reasons for declining engineering enrollments, particularly among black, Hispanic, and women students, are not fully understood but may be attributable to low student motivation, poor college preparation, reduction in job opportunities due to corporate downsizing, and decreases in available financial aid. Implications of this trend for overall…

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro student financial aid office undertook a program to train staff in effective listening. Training involved personal videotaping of staff members, followed by feedback to staff and a handout for students (appended) to promote more successful interviews. Initial response has been positive. (Author/MSE)

Three plans for reforming the financing of students wishing to attend college, therefore improving college affordability, are outlined: (1) improving the college loan system; (2) mitigating high tuition with high student aid; and (3) making comprehensive changes at all levels of the college finance system (the Plan of the National Commission on…

The method used by an elite private university to assess the effects of its student aid policy on enrollment is described. A checklist helps guide preliminary assessment of financing strategies to identify areas of particular concern, by measuring ratios or trends in 10 financial, enrollment, and financial aid indicators. (MSE)

A survey of 973 students in a variety of academic programs at the University of Coventry (England) returning from summer vacations gathered information about summer employment experiences and income. Income levels for students employed full and part time were then compared with student contribution requirements for student financial aid. (MSE)

Colleges and universities must become aware of the growing number of students who are mothers, considering programs and policies enabling them to combine and cope with the demands of academics, home, and work. Needs of these students include improved programs, schedules, child care, financial aid, housing, and support systems. (MSE)

Three decades after massive government commitment to financial aid, minority and low income access is declining and aid going to middle class students. Policies and political deadlock have worsened the situation of those in need, and hard choices must be made if college access is to be restored without greater expenditures. (SK)

The GI Bill is seen as the most revolutionary and radically empowering federal legislation to affect American higher education in the 20th century. The bill gave African American veterans more access to higher education than ever before, at government expense, and helped improve the quality of education at black colleges. (MSE)

Teachers of 76 preservice courses responded to a survey concerning the effectiveness of a British Department of Education and Science grant program in attracting and retaining quality teacher trainees in the three areas of mathematics, physics, and craft/design/technology. Results are reported and analyzed. The dropout rate was found to be about 7…

In a Texas study of vocational education student loan repayment attitudes, interviews with loan recipients indicate defaults are affected by how much students are pressured to enroll in a program, their understanding of the loan program when signing an application, and how well their vocational education equips them for employment. (Author/MSE)

A survey of 213 master's-level business administration students in 1 private and 3 public universities investigated the role of student financing, department characteristics, university characteristics, and information sources affected applicants' choice of institution to apply to. Despite similarities in the concerns of public and private…

The 1980s saw renewed emphasis on parental and student responsibility for financing college, as federal aid programs and family income lagged behind costs. These shifting burdens occurred largely without design. More explicit attention should be given to how responsibility is distributed and assuring support mechanisms are adequate. (Author/MSE)

Without an institutional research office to look at recruitment and retention programs, DePauw University (Indiana) relies heavily on institutional trend data and comparative information to assess the effectiveness of three initiatives: recruitment of large numbers of minority students, strategic use of financial aid, and use of market…

Describes initiatives developed in Connecticut to increase minority participation in higher education, including the Minority Enrollment Incentive Program, Urban Marketing Initiative, Greater Hartford Community College's Hispanic Family Support and Pre-Nursing programs, Norwalk Community College's English as a Second Language program, high school…