Federal Student Aid is money from the Federal Government that helps you pay for college, career school, or graduate school expenses. Federal student aid is available through grants, work-study funds, and loans. Every student who meets certain eligibility requirements can get some type of federal student aid. This brief describes the types of aid…

The U.S. Department of Education's three-month delay in launching the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and the subsequent lack of continuous access, ambiguities in the form, and data reporting errors have resulted in a significant decline in form completions for 2024. The analysis in this report--a first-of-its kind study…

"Educating the Top 100 Percent" assesses the decline of higher education funding and offers ambitious policy recommendations to restore the possibility of accessible, affordable education for all. Stephen G. Katsinas, Nathaniel J. Bray, and Martha J. Kanter probe the complex interplay of federal, state, and local policies and illustrate…

There is currently bipartisan support for criminal justice reform in the United States. One reform, recently passed through the Consolidated Appropriations Act/COVID relief package (December 2020), restored need-based, higher educational aid for incarcerated persons. With a resurgence of college-in-prison programs on the horizon, this article…

For many high school students, the cost of attending college poses a major barrier to continuing their education. Federal student aid provided through Pell grants, work study, and loans can offer students with low incomes an avenue toward receiving a postsecondary education. But for students to be eligible for federal student aid, they need to…

More than 427,000 undocumented students are enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions. That's an impressive number, considering the many hurdles they must overcome on the road to college and a degree, including restrictions on their ability to enroll in higher education institutions; limits on access to in-state tuition, state financial aid,…

This study examines the impacts of two distinct types of school spending on student outcomes. State-imposed revenue limits cap the total amount of revenue that a school district in Wisconsin can raise unless the district holds a referendum asking voters to exceed the cap. Importantly, Wisconsin law requires districts to hold separate referenda for…

Postsecondary education is one of the largest investments that students and their families make, with average yearly cost of attendance--including tuition, fees, room and board--of just under $17,000 to attend a public institution in the 2015-16 academic year. In the context of increasing college costs, aid dollars have failed to keep pace with…

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) verification and its role in summer melt is examined in this brief. "Summer melt" is when high school seniors who appear ready to go to college the fall following graduation do not enroll. The study revealed one-third of Houston Independent School District (HISD) college-intending students…

Rethinking the balance between federal and state responsibilities for supporting colleges and universities and making higher education accessible and affordable for students is important. There is little disagreement about the current education financing system being inadequate. The debate is about the best way to solve the problem. In this…

Immigrant students, including Dreamers, face significant barriers in accessing a postsecondary education and have faced increased hardship as a result of the pandemic with little access to additional supports. As part of the ongoing negotiations of the Build Back Better Act, the America's College Promise program, which would have guaranteed two…

Over the last decade, practitioners in college access and success fields have responded to a rapidly evolving digital landscape by incorporating technology into outreach and service. Researchers have responded by turning attention to technology use, digital literacy, and specific technology tools, such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and…

Most discussions of college prices and of students' and families' ability to pay those prices focus exclusively on tuition and fees. This focus sometimes leads to policy recommendations that aim to eliminate tuition and fees without providing additional resources for students from low-income households to buy books and supplies and cover their…

This study examines the relationship between Cycle 1 of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) College Success Initiative and students' preparation for, enrollment in, and persistence in college. Rates of FAFSA submission, two-year applications, four-year applications, and on-time college enrollment all significantly increased during Cycle…

A college degree is increasingly necessary in today's economy. Federal policy makers have attempted to encourage college attendance and degree attainment through financial aid provided to students. However, this aid has generally been unsuccessful in raising degree attainment rates, which remain quite low and have not risen for the past 20 years.…