College tuition and fee rates have risen dramatically over the last twenty years. Grant aid dollars, however, have increased at a slower rate, especially at public four-year institutions, which were twice as expensive in AY2018-19 compared to AY1998-1999 (Ma, Baum, Pender & Libassi, 2018). How do students pay for college when grant aid is not…

For the past twenty-five years, around 70 percent of college students have been holding down a job while enrolled. But high tuition fees and other expenses have made it impossible for today's students to work their way through college to earn enough to avoid debt from paying for their education. Students from low-income families suffer the most:…

How can community colleges support students' goals of finding success in the workforce, both today and the future? This issue brief builds upon the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) previously published report "Partnerships for a Future-Ready Workforce" (2018) (ED605153). This brief is the first in a four-part series that…

Community colleges have maintained a mission and commitment to open access. Likewise, Federal Pell Grants have historically served as a primary means for low income populations to afford higher education. Thus, community college students and Federal Pell Grants are important parts of the American higher education landscape and a mode of social and…