Despite substantial investments in financial aid programs, the available aid often falls short of covering the total cost of attendance (Hanson, 2023). Today, college expenses represent 30% of the annual median family income, pushing many students to rely on loans to finance their education (US Census Bureau, 2023). Among student loan borrowers,…

In "The Path to Free College," Michelle Miller-Adams argues that tuition-free college, if pursued strategically and in alignment with other sectors, can be a powerful agent of change. She makes the case that broadly accessible and affordable higher education is in the public interest, yielding dividends not just for individuals but also…

The rapidly changing economy is raising the stakes on states to address the skilled workforce needs of employers and to expand economic opportunity to more people and places. To guide the policy actions of states, Jobs for the Future (JFF) designed a comprehensive policy agenda for increasing attainment of postsecondary credentials valued in the…

From September 2012 universities and other higher education institutions (HEIs) in England have been able to charge up to £9,000 per year in tuition fees, which had previously been capped at £3,375 per year. Against this backdrop, this report explores the relative importance of tuition fees on the choices made between universities by students, and…

Educational opportunities and outcomes for California's Latino students have improved over the last half century. Even so, Latino students continue to face barriers in opportunity that make it harder for them to achieve college, career, and future success. The goal of this report is to describe what Latino students currently experience in…

Think College Reports present descriptive data in narrative or tabular form to provide timely information to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers for review and use. This summary report offers an overview of the descriptive data on students from Year Two (2016-2017) collected by the Think College National Coordinating Center (NCC) from the…

Most high school reform efforts understandably focus on boosting the success of low-income students who are underachieving academically, but in every school district where students struggle, there are academically capable low-income and minority students who do graduate prepared for college. Yet each year, many of these students choose to attend…

Education Indicators in Focus is a recurring series of briefs that highlight specific indicators in OECD's Education at a Glance that are of particular interest to policy makers and practitioners. They provide a detailed look into current issues in pre-primary, primary and secondary education, higher education, and adult outcomes from a global…

Think College Reports present descriptive data in narrative or tabular form to provide timely information to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers for review and use. This summary report offers an overview of the descriptive data on students with intellectual disability collected by the Think College National Coordinating Center (NCC) in…

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), originally chartered under the federal Assets for Independence (AFI) Act in 1998, may provide an opportunity for increasing access to postsecondary education for low-income youth and adults by providing funds through a mix of their own savings and federal and private funds. However, many IDA savers and IDA…

Many adult students struggle to finance their educations, often contending with work and child care expenses in addition to the extra cost of remedial courses. Moreover, there is little need-based grant aid to help. This report presents early findings from an evaluation of a program in New York City targeted to low-income adults (ages 22 to 35)…

This booklet is intended to be used with a set of slides as part of a presentation to students on "How To Apply for Federal Student Aid." The first part of the book is a script based on the slides. The images displayed on each slide are also provided in the booklet. After the script is a guide to hosting a financial aid information program. The…

This booklet, written in Spanish, is intended to be used with a set of slides as part of a presentation to students on "How To Apply for Federal Student Aid" ("Como Solicitar la Asistencia Economica Federal para Estudiantes"). The first part of the book is a script based on the slides. After the script is a guide to hosting a financial aid…

This report examines the literature on practices and programs seeking to improve students' transition from adult education to postsecondary education. Ultimately, the report seeks to provide practitioners with models for effective strategies in transitioning students to postsecondary education that can be implemented at community colleges…

The purpose of the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program (FSEOG) is to encourage schools to provide grants to exceptionally needy undergraduate students to help pay for postsecondary education. This volume provides information about the FSEOG eligibility and payments. The chapters are: (1) "Participation, Fiscal…