TICAS partnered with higher education researcher Dr. Donald E. Heller to examine the "affordability gap" that students are facing when paying for college. The report uses federal data to determine the so-called "college affordability gap" in three states--California, Michigan, and New York--with a focus on students who are…

In 2017, the state of Michigan operated, and continues to operate, in an unstipulated policy environment related to undocumented students. There is no higher education commission or policy coordinating body in Michigan nor has the state legislature passed any legislation related to undocumented students or students who are DACA-eligible. Under…

It has been almost five years since Michigan voters chose to ban race-conscious programs from state-funded institutions. The impact of the decision was swift and painful for many, particularly in the state's public higher education landscape. Minority enrollment in public colleges--which was already low--plummeted in many categories as…

On November 10, 2005, then Superintendent of the Kalamazoo Public School System, Janice Brown announced--to the surprise of Kalamazoo's residents--the beginning of the Kalamazoo Promise. Fully funded by a set of anonymous donors, the Kalamazoo Promise is an urban revitalization program that offers up to four years of free tuition to any public…

The Kalamazoo Promise was announced in the fall of 2005, offering free college tuition at any public state college or university for graduates of the district who have gained acceptance to a postsecondary institution. This program was funded through the generous support of anonymous donors, and a federally-funded evaluation is underway to examine…

This paper explores the Kalamazoo Promise through the lens of the existing literature on other privately funded scholarships programs and the broader advancement knowledge base. The author concludes that current research does not adequately explain the Promise, and suggests a conceptual model--a logic model--to be used in philanthropy evaluation.

While colleges and legal analysts are focusing on what to do in the post-Hopwood world, some of us are still asking whether a move away from affirmative action was a prudent move from the beginning. Is it fair for society to move away from supporting students who have not had an equitable chance at the educational brass ring just because, in most…

The 22nd annual edition of Michigan's Postsecondary Admissions & Financial Assistance Handbook provides essential information regarding contact personnel, campus characteristics, admission requirements, program offerings, and application procedures for each college and university in the state. It contains a listing of over 7,000 instructional…

Public higher educational institutions, where about 80 percent of all college students and 65 percent of all four-year college students are educated, appear to be in serious trouble. In order to delve more deeply into this topic, the author invited a wide-ranging team of experts to examine changes in public higher education over the last quarter…

This report examines the importance of education to women and the effects of tuition, state and federal aid programs, child care, and welfare policies on Michigan women's access to higher education. Sections of the report address the following issues: (1) why the education of women matters, noting that postsecondary education is the primary means…