In 2008, Maine implemented the Educational Opportunity Tax Credit (EOTC), a tax credit that repays up to $4,400 of student loan debt to filers who live in Maine, work in Maine, are paying towards their student debt, and who have an eligible degree. In 2019, Maine Revenue Services (MRS) provided 14,341 EOTC tax credits to 19,798 people, with annual…

Finding funds to build and renovate facilities is a major hurdle for public charter schools because most state laws do not provide charter schools with the full amount of state and local funding that other public schools receive. Although an increasing number of states are passing laws to address charter school facility funding gaps, inequities…

Community colleges play an important role in providing access to higher education and promoting economic mobility, but student outcomes vary widely across institutions. Although community colleges have been largely excluded from recent federal accountability action, the potential re-regulation of Gainful Employment raises the question of whether…

Between the 2008-09 and 2016-17 school years, over 300 degree-granting higher education institutions in the United States have closed their doors. An overwhelming majority of these recently closed institutions are for-profit colleges, which often serve a population of disproportionately low-income students receiving Pell Grants and federal loans.…

Teachers of color have a positive impact on all students and make a particularly pronounced difference in the lives of students of color. For students of color, having a teacher of color can increase academic achievement and advanced course-taking, reduce discipline incidents, improve attendance, increase high school graduation and college-going,…

"Student Debt and the Class of 2018" is the fourteenth annual report produced by The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) on the student loan debt of recent graduates from four-year colleges, documenting the changes in student loan debt and variation among states as well as colleges. This report includes federal policy…

What do state policies say about how to fund postsecondary education? This 50-State Comparison answers this question by searching state statutes, state rules and regulations, enacted state budget bills, and state postsecondary education agency policies that address postsecondary education budgeting and funding. According to the content of the…

"Student Debt and the Class of 2019" is The Institute for College Access & Success' (TICAS') fifteenth annual report on the student loan debt of recent graduates from four-year colleges, documenting changes and variation in student debt across states and colleges. This report includes federal policy recommendations to reduce debt…

Most children in the U.S. spend time in some form of early childhood education (ECE) program prior to entering kindergarten. In fact, children spend an average of 25 hours per week in nonparental care, including center-based care and informal family, friend and neighbor care. Children develop a foundation for learning during these early years, so…

Education and training beyond high school matters, preparing students to contribute to their communities, allowing them to lead healthier and more productive lives, and strengthening the economy. In today's economy, higher education is increasingly important for those seeking jobs that pay a living wage. Unfortunately, many Ohio policies work…

Student debt balances are ballooning, posing a serious threat to the financial security of millions of borrowers across the country. In the last 15 years, total outstanding student debt has grown six-fold and now hovers at over $1.5 trillion. Student debt has significant short- and long-term impacts on individuals, their communities, and the…

Hiring and retaining teachers of color is one approach that policymakers can use to support improved academic achievement and opportunities for racially and ethnically diverse students. National data show that while the student population is becoming more diverse, the teacher workforce remains largely white and female. While teachers from all…

Nationally, student debt has doubled between 2009 and 2019 and is now hovering around $1.7 trillion. The impact that student debt financing is having on borrowers of color is harmful and unsustainable. It is also widening the already significant racial wealth gap. The pandemic is likely to only exacerbate these inequities as people of color and…

"Student Debt and the Class of 2017" is the thirteenth annual report produced by The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) on the student loan debt of recent graduates from four-year colleges, documenting the changes in student loan debt and variation among states as well as colleges. [For "Student Debt and the Class of…

The coronavirus pandemic has inflicted enormous financial damage on colleges and universities and the cost is still growing. American higher education will undergo an unprecedented financial crisis in the coming months. "Critical Care" is a plan to guide the federal response to these unprecedented disruptions facing higher education in…