Although the default rate on federally insured student loans is declining, the amount of student borrowing has almost tripled since 1990. Borrowers may be finding loans more burdensome, as nearly one-third are unsubsidized and amounts borrowed are steadily increasing. Also, the General Accounting Office has discovered serious program management…

A former U.S. commissioner of education wonders if privatization and vouchers represent threats, annoyances, or utopias. Private contracting could hinder community involvement and the teacher professionalization movement. Profit-making goals might resolve class size policy in favor of economic efficiency, not student learning. Vouchers will reduce…

Describes a study conducted of 417 individuals who were accepted into Michigan's Oakland Community College for fall 1995 but did not attend to determine their reasons for not enrolling. Finds that financial considerations were cited most often, followed by personal problems. Discusses differences in responses by race and gender. (BCY)

Analysis of the current status of Georgetown University (District of Columbia) finds a money-losing medical center and a limited endowment, but the institution retains its elite status and highly competitive admissions. Notes the respected medical and law schools, recent fund-raising success, its Catholic identity, management problems, and…

It has been hypothesized that exposure to stress and negative life events is related to poor health outcomes, and that differential exposure to stress plays a role in socioeconomic disparities in health. Data from three waves of the Americans' Changing Lives study (n = 3,617) were analyzed to investigate prospectively the relationship among…

Examines the politics of school budgeting. School managers operate with primitive accounting systems that can mask financial problems for years and are trapped by state, federal, and union mandates. Reforms include allowing districts flexibility to reallocate money; demanding both instructional leadership and financial expertise from…

A myth persists in America that any student who is academically prepared for college can enroll. The disturbing truth is that trends in tuition and financial aid policies are preventing hundreds of thousands of college-qualified low-and moderate-income students from enrolling in college. This article describes the real limits on opportunity that…

The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), a strategic initiative founded by the Association of Research Libraries, is a catalyst for promoting a scholarly communication environment that is more open, financially tenable, and supportive of the current research and information needs of academe. Established in response to…

This report summarizes the findings of the third National Congress on Rural Education, held during the 1994 convention of the National Rural Education Association (NREA). The Congress considered the following question: What infrastructure is necessary to provide an environment conducive to the effective use of available and emerging technologies…

This paper examines the outlook for school finance over the next 5 years. The environment for increases in real school revenue per pupil during the rest of the 1990s will not be favorable. The rate of economic growth in the next 5 years will not be particularly robust, with capacity expected to increase only about 2.5 percent yearly. This…

In recent years, increased state interest in school-based health centers has been reflected in greatly expanded financial support for the centers. However, with no apparent new sources of support for continued expansion of the centers and increased competition among community providers for existing public health dollars the further of SBHC is…

This theme issue of "Policy Perspectives" examines the role and survivability of liberal arts colleges in an age of universities. The lead essay, "Cross Currents," emphasizes that the liberal arts college embodies the ideal form of scholarly purpose and endeavor in undergraduate institutions, that the gap between the values inherent in a liberal…

On May 29, 1991, Governor Pete Wilson signed legislation allowing an $835 million cut in support for education as a step in reducing the California state budget deficit. For the state's 107 community colleges, the loss of an estimated $225 million to $270 million in 1991-92 is particularly problematic in light of anticipated enrollment increases.…

This series of reports reviews how California colleges are coping with a difficult economy. The reports, produced in February, March, June, August, and October of 1992, review the impact of budgetary shortfalls on the 107 California Community Colleges (CCC), 20 California State Universities (CSU), 8 University of California (UC) campuses, and 63…

This series of reports reviews how California colleges are coping with a difficult economy. The reports, produced in January, March, April, May, June, September, and November of 1993, review the impact of budgetary shortfalls on 107 California Community Colleges (CCC), 20 California State Universities (CSU), 8 University of California (UC)…