Over the last two decades, prices in higher education have grown more quickly than prices in almost any other sector of the economy. Tuition inflation has been extensively examined. The examinations, however, have focused on a narrow set of explanations, none of which has revealed obvious opportunities for policy interventions that would slow this…

With the cost of college soaring and the national six-year completion rate below 60 percent, the federal government's support for higher education is facing heightened scrutiny. What kind of regulation and accountability should Congress impose on what might be termed the world's largest voucher program--Washington's hefty funding of Pell grants…

Can an academic institution be truly free if it relies on government funding? Federal dollars mean federal mandates, and those mandates grow increasingly draconian. More and more, they stifle debate on open questions, demand denial of verifiable scientific truths, eliminate due process for students accused of misdeeds by other students, or insist…

President Obama is right to draw attention to the soaring cost of a college education in America. However, his proposed solution will not only fail to fix the problem but is also likely to compound it by blunting the competition that is needed to shake up the world of higher education. President Obama proposes to slow tuition growth by…

Historically, the UK system has been one of the most successful in combining excellence with access. However the favorable conditions that British universities and colleges have enjoyed in recent years, associated in large part with the introduction of higher tuition fees in 2006, are coming to an end. British universities and colleges face a…

This article reports on a federal legislation that may chart a new course for states considering whether to grant in-state tuition to undocumented immigrant students. Experts say college attendance by undocumented students would be much higher if they did not have the added burden of financing public education at out-of-state or foreign student…

An appellate court found that Michigan's popular prepaid college tuition program is not subject to federal income taxes, reversing an earlier decision. The program, considered a model for other states, was suspended in 1991 due to fund depletion from tax payments. The Internal Revenue Service is considering an appeal. (MSE)

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will not ask the Supreme Court to review a lower court's decision to exempt the Michigan Education Trust from federal income taxes. The state college tuition prepayment plan was discontinued in 1991 due to legal challenges but promised to honor its commitments to 55,000 participants. The program may now be…

Australia has made significant changes in the ways it regulates and funds vocational education and training (VET), with increased emphasis on competition to promote efficient delivery of the type of programs that students and employers want. National, state and territory governments have increased the role of employers by basing nationally…

The future of employee tuition benefits under the federal Employee Educational Assistance Act is again threatened unless Congress acts to preserve it. Research shows this benefit to have been successful in achieving its principal goal of promoting equity among beneficiaries. The act has expired and been reenacted 8 times in 17 years, illustrating…

The federal contribution to higher education is discussed in terms of the evolution of its role from 1787 to 1958, the growing regulatory presence, the National Defense Education Act, the Higher Education Acts of 1963 and 1965, the 1972 Higher Education Amendments, and recent legislative actions. Specific chapter discussions cover the following:…

To inform educators of the changes in federal educational policy taking place under the Reagan administration, this paper includes comments on education made by participants in a legislative conference held in Washington, D.C. during February 1981. An introductory chapter by the editors summarizes the policy changes that can be expected to take…

This report examines the facilitation of financing higher education in Hawaii. The report covers financial aid programs available to Hawaii college students, as well as prepaid and guaranteed tuition programs and college savings programs. Following an introductory chapter, Chapter 2 focuses on threshold questions such as state constitutional…

The Second Annual Report of the National Advisory Committee on Black Higher Education and Black Colleges and Universities is presented. The Committee's purpose and functions, committee membership, meetings and activities are discussed. The Committee's discussions and special activities and research reports in progress are summarized, and the…

The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) has identified public policy issues of interest to its membership in 1997, including those in budget and appropriations, college costs and pricing, distance learning and technology, environmental health and safety, federal audit and accounting standards, Higher Education…