In the following Q&A, NEBHE's Fellow for Open Education Lindsey Gumb asks Thomas College Provost Thomas Edwards about the Waterville, Maine, college's plans to use a new grant from the Davis Education Foundation. The college's focus on melding access and affordability through OER (Open Educational Resources) is especially relevant in the…

The cost and the value of higher education, the short- and long-term impact of student debt, the role of career preparation, and accountability for student outcomes are the subject of intense and increasing examination and debate. As challenging as these times may be, it is still imperative to maintain access, be cost effective, be contemporary in…

In April 2013, the "New England Journal of Higher Education" ("NEJHE") launched its "New Directions for Higher Education" series to examine emerging issues, trends, and ideas that have an impact on higher education policies, programs and practices. In this installment of the series, DiSalvio speaks with American…

What if, instead of borrowing, students could arrange for investors to pay their college bills in exchange for a fixed percentage of their future income? In this article, the authors answer this provocative question, arguing that the time has come to think more creatively about financing college, especially because Congress seems more inclined to…

Colleges and universities work hard to try to accommodate students' financial situations. Many institutions provide as much financial support as they can (63 percent of all undergraduates enrolled in 2003-04 received financial aid, according to the NCES). And some professors have begun to help students who work long hours by providing more…

In several high-profile speeches this year, President Barack Obama has set an ambitious educational goal: By 2020, the United States will have the highest proportion of adults with a college degree in the world. The emphasis on education in both his proposed budget for fiscal 2010 and in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009…

Fixed-tuition plans, which vary in specifics from institution to institution, rely on a common principle: Students pay the same annual tuition costs over a pre-determined length of time, ostensibly the time required to earn an undergraduate degree. Students, parents, and policymakers are demonstrating growing interest in such plans. At face value,…

In its first hundred days, the Obama administration demonstrated a strong commitment to expanding access to higher education. The economic stimulus package, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), increased funding for the Pell Grant program and over the next two years, the maximum award will grow to $5,550 in 2010-2011--the…

Discusses strategies to keep down the cost of sending children to college and increase retirement savings. Suggestions include looking for any kind of scholarship funds such as academic, athletic, or music; staying in one's own state; joining the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC); haggling; and requiring student employment to defray expenses.…

Barack Obama agreed to answer a series of questions submitted via e-mail to his campaign. This article presents excerpts of "The Chronicle"'s exchange with the senator and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, in which he discussed his policy suggestions for student aid and college access; the appropriate role of the federal…

For 3 decades, colleges and universities have consistently increased tuition faster than the rate of inflation. Higher education leaders and public officials have been codependent agents in a process that has transformed practices without redefining policy. It has become increasingly clear that educational performance in the public interest and…

Similarities are drawn between trends in climbing costs for medical care and higher education. Possible effects of a prospective payment system for higher education are discussed. Colleges and universities are encouraged to retain the public trust by holding to their primary educational mission. (DB)

Looks at graduate school decision making and discusses cost, number of professional degrees conferred, evaluating schools and programs, placement after graduation, salary expectations, and personal factors to be considered. Provides a list of agencies for further information. (JOW)

Summarizes the federal treasury regulation governing the deductibility of educational expenses and outlines why it is disadvantageous to student taxpayers. Proposes that Congress permit the accelerated amortization of qualified educational costs over a five-year horizon. (155 references) (MLF)

Argues that higher education is a labor-intensive service industry of independent and mutually jealous units supporting expensive and underused facilities, resulting in vast inefficiency. Paying for college education is a source of increasing distress for families. Colleges argue that the truly needy have better access than ever. Constantly…