This report demonstrates how much low-income students must stretch to pay for college, even after grant aid is taken into account. This report finds that just five of the nation's nearly 1,200 four-year colleges and universities have student bodies that are at least 30 percent low-income and offer low-income students a reasonable chance at a…

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) requires that Title IV degree-granting institutions disclose annually the graduation rates of first-time, full-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduate students, disaggregated by gender, each major racial/ethnic subgroup, and receipt or non-receipt of a federal Pell grant or subsidized…

President Obama's 2010 budget proposals include exciting news for those concerned with increasing educational opportunities. The urgency of the economic crisis and the clear commitment of the administration and Congress to make college more affordable provide the perfect opportunity for those in higher education to update their approach to…

In higher education, three generally recognized rationales for federal involvement in financial aid exist: (1) Promoting equality of opportunity: Those from poor households are less likely to attend college for a variety of reasons; (2) Credit market imperfections: Students may not have access to the credit needed to make profitable investments in…

This article discusses the recent changes to the Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA), P.L. 110-315, which have resulted in providing greater access to college programs to students with intellectual disabilities (ID). Prior to the amendments to HEOA, only students who were enrolled full time in a degree bearing program were eligible to…

The purpose of the U.S. Department of Education's online newsletter "The Education Innovator" is to promote innovative practices in education; to offer features on promising programs and practices; to provide information on innovative research, schools, policies, and trends; and to keep readers informed of key Department priorities and…

Today, America faces a shifting and demanding economic and workforce environment. Americans know that the workplace is changing but not where it's heading. Each demonstration of the latest breakthrough technology can have enormous impact on the society, opening up entire new industries and markets and instantly limiting the viability of others. Of…

A few days before President Bush officially released his 2008 budget, administration officials announced that it would contain a historic increase in the maximum Pell Grant. The increase in Pell Grants would be paid for by cutting subsidies for student loans, a step that experts predicted could induce lenders to offer fewer benefits to borrowers.…

This article talks about the plan of Bush's administration to end the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program and focus on the broader goal with increased access to college for underrepresented groups and not spend their time protecting inefficient programs. During the annual meeting of the American Council on Education, the new under…

Examines the role of higher education in the Puerto Rican society and economy. Discusses the impetus federal assistance has provided to low income Puerto Rican students, especially through the Pell Grant. Analyzes the relationship between educational and employment attainment levels. (APM)

The extent to which colleges and universities provide opportunities for students from the most economically disadvantaged families is an important indicator of the potential for U.S. higher education to promote intergenerational mobility. Yet the measurement of "opportunity" for low-income students at the level of individual colleges and…

Despite federal investments in student aid--plus tax credits exceeding $70 billion and state expenditures for institutions and students exceeding $65 billion--record high financial barriers erected by recent changes in tuition and financial aid have prevented hundreds of thousands of college-qualified high school graduates from enrolling in…

Financial aid and college preparatory programs are designed in part to allow students from low-income families to have the same choices of institutions as those from middle- and upper-income groups. Unfortunately, despite providing more than $100 billion in financial aid and college preparatory assistance, state and federal policy makers have been…

This book contains individual essays and series of essays about fundamental issues in prison education. The following individual essays are included: "The Paradox of Higher Education in Prisons" (Jones, d'Errico); "A Brief History of Prison Higher Education in the United States" (Silva); "The Scope and Diversity of Prison…

Research findings relating to the impact of student financial aid policies and practices on women are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the importance of student aid for improving economic opportunity and security for women. The primary focus is on institutional practices and student aid programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education…