This report examines whether levels of state funding for higher education are associated with college graduation rates, particularly among underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. The assessment is based on an analysis of state appropriations and the six-year graduation rates of all students as well as the graduation rates of three subgroups,…

The purpose of this research brief is to summarize the methodology and findings of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) report, "The Effect of State Appropriations on College Graduation Rates of Diverse Students" (see ED623525), which examines whether changes in state funding for public four-year institutions can be expected to…

The state of Michigan has set a goal to increase the percentage of residents with a postsecondary degree or credential to 60 percent by 2030. Achieving that goal will require a concerted, strategic, and multipronged effort. Today, less than 50 percent of residents have attained a postsecondary degree or credential. While making college more…

College tuition at public institutions across the country rose by 36.2 percent on average over the decade 2008-09 to 2018-19. The average total cost of college, accounting for all expenses such as room and board, across all institutions public and private grew by 22.4 percent. Students and their families are borrowing an enormous amount of money…

The OECD Higher Education Policy Survey (HEPS) is a new instrument developed by the OECD Higher Education Policy Team to gather comparative information on system features and characteristics of policies across OECD jurisdictions, to support policy analysis and peer learning. The first HEPS was fielded in 2020, to support the ongoing thematic…

Each year, nearly 17,000 community college students participate in Tennessee Reconnect (TNR), which allows adults to attend eligible colleges free of tuition and mandatory fees. However, many adult students face obstacles to persistence. In 2019, fewer than half of Reconnect students persisted as Reconnect students the following year. This paper…

Two studies were conducted to better understand the association between higher education and adult success from the perspective of young adult student loan borrowers five years after graduating. Data for both studies were drawn from the Arizona Pathways to Life Success (APLUS) project. This sample borrowed during a period of changing economic…

This "National Profile" serves as a helpful resource document on the basics of the federal student financial aid programs that provide funding to millions of students each year. This information is more important than ever, as data from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) show that the number of students applying for federal financial…

We analyzed data from 28,601 students enrolled at nine large, public research-intensive universities who completed the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) COVID-19 survey. Students from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds had significantly higher odds of experiencing financial hardships compared to their peers, including…

During the 2020 period of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education delivery changed drastically. Using document analysis and interviews with staff and students, in this article I address how the practice of financial aid changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff reported that these changes created problems with technology and radically increased…

The Tuition and Fee Report is produced annually by the Colorado Department of Higher Education to provide detailed information on the tuition and fee rates at Colorado's public institutions, as well as to give context regarding the state funding environment in which tuition and fee rate-setting occurs. Colorado has mirrored national trends over…

States provide substantial support for higher education through appropriations to public colleges and universities that can be used to maintain relatively low tuition levels and funds for financial aid. Higher education often receives disproportionate cuts during recessionary periods, and it faces potentially unprecedented reductions in coming…

Purpose: This research aims to examine business students' geographic interests and motivations for study abroad. Design/methodology/approach: Two hundred sixty-seven undergraduate business students from a midwestern university completed the survey on perceived benefits and obstacles of studying abroad (personal and professional), geographic…

This book explores the holistic development of vocational education in Chinese education system. It investigates the vocational education policy development, student development, allocation of teachers' resources, financial mechanism and system, students' financial aid, examination and enrollment, private vocational education system, and…

Teachers are the most important school-based factor for student growth and achievement. Yet, for years, enrollment in the nation's schools of education has been in decline, and local education agencies (LEAs) have struggled to retain teachers. In many places, the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated these issues, requiring states to…