The work of the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is guided by a 5-year strategic plan. The purpose of the plan is to provide focus for the activity of this small agency and its eight staff members in order to increase productivity and impact in the areas of its statutory authority. The mission and goals were accepted by…

Most Americans expect the nation's colleges and universities to promote the goal of social mobility to make it possible for anyone with ability and motivation to succeed. But according to Robert Haveman and Timothy Smeeding, income-related gaps both in access to and in success in higher education are large and growing. In the top-tier colleges and…

Using data from Achieving the Dream: Community College Count, this issue of Data Notes compares students in the 2002 Achieving the Dream cohort in terms of achievement and persistence over three academic years based on Pell Grant receipt. The results reveal a complicated relationship between Pell Grant receipt and measures of student success.…

The state of Washington is committed to higher education opportunity for all students, regardless of income, through its state financial aid programs. The purpose of this report is to provide the members of the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) with an overview of state and federal financial aid in Washington, an update on state financial…

Preliminary research into the populations of public urban four year higher education institutions indicates that race/ethnicity and Verbal SAT scores may be acting as proxies for immigration status and the use of a home language other than English. There are indications of differences in the behavior of immigrant/ other language students that may…

"Student Success" is EPI's occasional e-magazine dedicated to the discussion of retaining students in higher education. Over the course of the next issues of "Student Success," the Educational Policy Institute (EPI) will explore three questions about retention on our college campuses. Part I will look at the barriers to student retention, both…

American Indian students face numerous barriers to higher education. Yet enrollment of native students continues to increase, in large part due to the success of Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in creating a culturally relevant and supportive atmosphere in which students learn and grow. Organizations such as the American Indian College…

This article focuses on the Web-based resources available to low-income students as they build their perceptions, make their decisions, and engage in financial aid activities. Data are gathered from the results of six focus groups with low-income high school students attending urban high schools. Findings suggest that low-income students do have…

Research on retention of students of color suggests possible areas of intervention to improve academic success.

Although colleges and universities interested in the most cost-effective way of diversifying their entering class or meeting enrollment targets have an array of analytical techniques to choose from, issues of accuracy, scope, and usability continue to slow their widespread use. To address these issues, this article develops an institutional…

This CD-ROM presents data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Studies (NPSAS) conducted in 1992-93, 1989-90, and 1986-87. Students who began their postsecondary education in 1989-90 were also surveyed in 1992 as part of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study First Followup. The NPSAS is a comprehensive study that is…

This book examines how individuals from low-income families in the United States are able to attend college. Part 1 focuses on the odds against a poor person attending college, looking at the reality of growing up poor in the United States and the odds against escaping such poverty. Part 2 examines how poor people beat such odds, presenting a…

This booklet, which is designed for middle school students in Florida, contains introductory information about the available occupations, possible earnings, and educational requirements of the following occupational clusters/areas: artistic, plants and animals, scientific, protective, mechanical, business detail, industrial, selling,…

This report provides information on the amounts and types of financial assistance available to students both within the member states of the European Community and across its frontiers. The first part of the report summarizes the main systems of financial assistance for students in higher education in the European Community, looking at several…

This directory compiles information on college financial aid for American Indian and Alaska Native students. Information is provided on approximately 175 programs exclusively for American Indian and Alaska Native students, including private scholarships and fellowships, school-specific programs and scholarships, state financial aid, tribal…