The public is concerned about rising tuition, yet high-profile news stories tell only part of this complex story. Although governing boards and presidents must pursue strategies to keep their institutions affordable, they must also inform their constituents of those strategies and explain better the actual, rather than perceived, cost of attending…

A study of families' means of paying for college using data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study strongly indicates that part of the process of deciding how students should pay for college is the parents' college financing experience. These effects appear in patterns in parent contribution, amount of financial aid received, and use of…

Summarizes data from a survey of 54 dental schools concerning dental students' financial aid. Data and analyses include percent of students receiving aid; average annual aid per student; average first-year costs of dental school; aid distribution within private, public, and state-related schools; details on federal loan programs; grant and…

Data on 305 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 institutions include, separately for males and females: number and proportion of athletes; dollar amount and proportion of operating expenses, recruiting expenses, and sports-related student financial aid; and the net total budget for the 1995-96 academic year. Institutions are…

In an effort to stem declining foreign student numbers, Japan will moderately increase its traditional scholarships for foreign students and sponsor 1,900 students from other countries under a short-term student exchange promotion program. The new policy also encourages the national universities to join private ones in developing ties with…

A discussion of the influence of finances on students' decisions to enter medicine or pursue low-paying careers in primary care or clinical investigation looks at three factors: medical school costs, the magnitude of student indebtedness, and the effects of indebtedness on career choice. (Author/MSE)

There is an implicit general plan currently uniting federal and state financing policies, however, it is inefficient, inequitable, and ineffective, involving obsolete state financing policies and mistaken federal responses. Implementation of another plan available would require federal intervention in state financing policies. (MLW)

Reviews recent research on retention and achievement among Hispanic community college students, focusing on influences on persistence, transfer rates, and financial aid. Identifies needs for additional research, curricular reforms, and retention programs stressing counseling and advisement to promote the development of clear, concrete and…

The effects of aid offers on enrollment decisions by college applicants from the classes of 1972, 1980, and 1982, and the effects the type of aid offered had on minority students are analyzed. All types of aid had a positive impact on decisions by college applicants including minority students. (Author/MLW)

Results of a national survey of state commissioners of higher education concerning the crucial issues facing higher education is reported. Major issues facing all of higher education, principal issues for large and small institutions, and the distribution of issues by geographic region are outlined. (MSE)

The history and strategy behind the Muskingum College (Ohio) decision to reduce tuition by one-third are explained. The policy was adopted as part of a strategic plan to increase enrollment, improve entering students' test scores, boost student diversity, and slow the increase in the percentage of institutional budget earmarked for student…

Concerns about cuts in federal student loan and grant programs are outlined, and ways in which institutions can act to influence policy are examined. Basic facts about potential cuts, their effects, federal spending on student aid, aid recipients, public opinion, and aid policy's effects on tuition are discussed. (MSE)

The 1987 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study was used to compare four alternative approaches for assessing the influence of price subsidies on within-year persistence by graduate students. Conclusions include tuition charge has a substantial negative influence on persistence; and comprehensive packages (grants, loans, plus assistantships)…

This report synthesizes experiences in a number of countries (United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Japan) on the market economy in higher education. Considered are market forces, various financial structures (institutional budgets, student funding, research infrastructure, other income, staffing), and implications for the future. (MSE)

Examines the total direct and indirect effects of receiving financial aid on persistence to degree using a subsample of 1989 freshmen from the Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey. Analysis shows that although simply receiving financial aid is unrelated to persistence, the effects of financial aid on persistence appear to depend on type and…