The collapse of good labor market opportunities for workers without a college degree is the elephant in the room in higher education policy discussions today. A high school diploma no longer provides a guarantee of financial security, let alone opens the door to the middle class. In response, some lawmakers and advocates have introduced a host of…

Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) are private savings accounts funded by a deposit from the state government and managed by a parent. The deposit amount varies from state to state and is typically based on the state's per-pupil amount. To use an ESA, parents withdraw their child from the public school system and use ESA funds to purchase specified…

African American males' academic achievement has been a concern for school officials, policy makers, administrators, colleges, and universities. African American males' graduation rates continue to decline at colleges and universities across the United States. The problem addressed by this qualitative study was that African American males who come…

College degree attainment benefits both private citizens and society. Historically, degree attainment rates have differed based on students' race, income, and parental education. Along with differences in degree attainment rates, time to degree has been increasing for all students nationally. Increased time to degree has adverse effects for…

We explore the role of defaults and choice architecture on student loan decision-making, experimentally testing the impact pre-populating either decline or accept decisions compared to an active choice, no pre-population, decision. We demonstrate that the default choice presented does influence student loan borrowing decisions. Specifically,…

Increasingly, over the past few years, my students have claimed that they are overworked and that they don't have a life. They are worried about their grades, their ability to find a job after graduation and repay their student loans. In this article, I grapple with this growing anxiety and stress that I have witnessed among my students. I explore…

This qualitative study examined how race and class shaped the college choice process and collegiate experiences of 14 Black undergraduate students attending four Ivy League institutions. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed through the lens of critical race theory and sociocultural theory. Findings revealed how the interrelatedness of race,…

Those interested in positioning research to be used by policymakers or funded by foundations often wonder how best to do so. Foundation and policy interests can intersect, as philanthropy and policy both aim to provide solutions to big societal problems. This article explores themes from federal financial aid policy, in particular, suggesting that…

Changes in the filing date and tax year data used to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will affect all colleges and universities, even those not planning to make changes in their aid programs.

The resources needed to conduct high-quality and large-scale survey research are often beyond the reach of institutional researchers and higher education analysts. However, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) provides many national student surveys that researchers can utilize. We outline four NCES studies--the High School…

The provision of grant aid is important to students' postsecondary opportunities and success. It is well established that grant aid increases the probability of enrollment in postsecondary education. A slate of studies in recent years has extended this research to examine whether grant aid also has an impact on persistence and degree attainment.…

Austin Community College's (ACC) Student Money Management Office conducted a text messaging scavenger hunt to engage ACC students in financial-aid-related education and programming, including when to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and how to ensure Satisfactory Academic Progress. Results demonstrated that 268 students began…

In recent years, online consumer credit in China has boomed. Many Chinese undergraduates are interested in utilizing online consumer credit to meet their increasing consumption needs. However, the explosion in online loans to students has created many problems. Based on a survey of 286 undergraduate students from four universities in Beijing, the…

Distance education has historically had lower completion rates. Several models of persistence, for on-campus students, indicate that students' financial status affects their decision to persist. This study involved providing distance education students' financial aid in the form of institutional scholarships (N = 545) at Penn State University in…

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions focuses on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act through financial aid simplification and transparency. The following committee members presented opening statements: (1) Honorable Lamar Alexander, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and (2)…