The writer discusses the challenges faced by financial aid directors. Determining how much families can pay for college has become more complex as the very definition of family has evolved. A growing number of students are coming from nontraditional families, and many college officials are scrambling to accurately evaluate their financial…

This report serves as a comprehensive resource of accurate and timely indicators of higher education performance in Minnesota. This report provides historical and national comparisons to contextualize state data. "Minnesota Measures" also offers Minnesota postsecondary peer institution comparisons. As possible, indicators are…

Mid-Atlantic Community College (MACC) is a large, urban, 2-year public community college located in Paterson, New Jersey. There are considerable challenges with respect to academic progress and retention because of student characteristics associated with an urban student population. Very little research has been done on the timing of when a…

As Latino representation in U.S. higher education grows, a reality check of institutional practices that support Latino students' access, persistence, and graduation is needed. This brief examines financial aid strategies aimed at increasing enrollment, academic success and degree completion at eight Texas Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)…

In 2008, about 568,000 foreign students (those holding temporary visas) studied at U.S. universities and colleges, 248,000 of them in science and engineering (S&E). There was an expectation that fall 2009 foreign enrollments might be negatively affected by the 2008-09 world financial crisis because of schools' restrictions on enrollment,…

The allocation of merit-based financial aid during the college admissions process presents postsecondary institutions with complex and financially expensive decisions. This article describes the application of linear programming as a decision tool in merit based financial aid decisions at a medium size private university. The objective defined for…

The purpose of this study was intended to examine the inner voices behind the students' choices of American higher education and their persistence in college in relation to financial factors, especially the student financial aid programs and their debt burdens during and after college. Case studies were used to answer the three research questions:…

The recent focus on student debt makes reliable data about how much students are borrowing, how borrowing patterns differ among students across different types of institutions and at different levels of enrollment, and about changes over time particularly important. While total student borrowing has grown rapidly over the past decade, the rate of…

The purpose of the study was to provide an assessment of the involvement of Mississippi's community and junior colleges in intercollegiate athletics during the academic year 2007-2008. These data could assist community and junior college presidents, vice presidents residing over athletics, athletic directors, and other policy makers in their…

This nation's federal student-loan system has reached a tipping point that, with the new leadership in Washington, offers a rare opportunity to create real change. To create a more consumer-focused student-loan program with both public and private capital, the Education Department, lenders, colleges in both programs, guarantors, and others should…

In 2002, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that veteran students were awarded similar amounts of Title IV aid as nonveteran students, and veterans' total federal aid was greater when Chapter 30 GI benefits were included. This report responds to request from the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Committee on Veterans' Affairs…

Native American students are the most likely racial/ethnic group tracked in post-secondary American education to be affected by poverty and limited access to educational opportunities. In addition, they are the most likely to be required to take remedial course work and are the least likely to graduate from college. A review of the literature was…

This study draws upon social cognitive career theory and higher education literature to test a conceptual framework for understanding the entrance into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors by recent high school graduates attending 4-year institutions. Results suggest that choosing a STEM major is directly influenced by…

Despite a generation of efforts to make higher education an achievable goal for all students, the gap in college participation rates between low-income and high-income students has not narrowed. Moreover, students of color continue to be underrepresented on postsecondary campuses. Early intervention efforts and college outreach programs such as…

Low- and middle-income students at public, two-year institutions too often do not apply for college financial aid (Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, 2008; Kantrowitz, 2009a, 2011). This research first examines national data to identify what the risk factors are for not applying and compares those risk factors for students at…