Research examining students' socioeconomic outcomes after attaining a bachelor's degree tends to use single measures such as income or occupation (Thomas & Zhang, 2005; Torche, 2015). Yet, socioeconomic status is more complex than single measures. To capture that complexity, this study draws data from the National Center for Education…

Recruiting and retaining effective special educators is essential for improving the outcomes of students with disabilities, yet it remains one of the foremost challenges facing special education. In this chapter, the authors provide an overview of the extent to which economic interventions -- such as bonuses, increased salaries, and loan…

The federal government now offers a multitude of complicated income-driven repayment (IDR) plans that are difficult to understand, enroll in, and stay in. Many students who would benefit from IDR do not enroll, and others will have large amounts of debt forgiven despite earning high wages. The current problems with IDR are not an indictment of the…

The Biden administration is pursuing two higher education policies through a series of rulemaking processes that aim to make higher education more affordable and less risky for students. One policy focuses on the system's back end by helping students repay their loans, and the other focuses on the front end by cutting off access to federal aid for…

A college degree or credential is a crucial stepping-stone to the middle class, and American colleges and universities play an essential role in building a more prosperous, equitable country. However, too many colleges routinely and disproportionately enroll students who end up struggling to repay or, worse, default on their student debt. "A…

The skyrocketing cost of college has forced more students to borrow money to obtain a degree. Women take on greater debt than men to start, but when women graduate, loan payments collide with the gender pay gap. The compounding effect puts a tight squeeze on women's budgets. This growing crisis requires two responses: helping those who have…

The objective of this review was to evaluate the results of Federal Student Aid's (FSA) process for suspending involuntary collection and refunding payments involuntarily collected on defaulted Department-held loans in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The information presented in this report was obtained and analyzed through interviews,…

This paper examines indicators related to earnings and student loan debt for evaluating return on investment (ROI) for postsecondary education. It first considers four different options for measuring earnings, arguing that measures of postsecondary value should include investment-to-earnings and earnings growth metrics. The paper then discusses…

This introductory report outlines the challenges of postsecondary completion, the variable value provided by a postsecondary pathway, and the corresponding cost and debt. Together, these challenges create an inequitable, ineffective, and unsustainable U.S. postsecondary system in which individuals are increasingly reluctant to participate or…

The authors have developed a visualization tool to assist higher education stakeholders in exploring options in higher education performance and accountability. The tool allows users to visualize quickly differences between programs and institutions along a number of dimensions. This report draws five insights from the visualization tool: (1)…

All students deserve to attend programs and institutions that meet high quality standards. But different program goals, investments of time, and eligibility criteria make it difficult to set specific standards that will apply equally well to all types of programs and institutions. This report sets out principles for developing an accountability…

The Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B) series of data collections allows researchers to address questions regarding bachelor's degree recipients' undergraduate experiences, including their participation in various financial aid programs, student loan debt and repayment of that debt; entrance into and progress through postbaccalaureate education;…

The Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B) series of data collections allows researchers to address questions regarding bachelor's degree recipients' undergraduate experiences, including their participation in various financial aid programs, student loan debt and repayment of that debt; entrance into and progress through postbaccalaureate education;…