This E.D. TAB presents selected findings about the price of attendance and the types and amounts of financial aid received by in-state undergraduates enrolled in public 2-year, public 4-year, and private not-for-profit 4-year institutions during the 2003-04 academic year in 12 selected states. It is based on the undergraduate data in the 2003-04…

There is widespread agreement that the complexity of the current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a barrier to college access and success. One indication is the large and growing number of lower income college students who do not apply for aid, even though they are likely eligible for a Pell grant: an estimated 1.5 million in…

No single factor will determine the future quality of life for all residents in Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states more than whether enough adults earn college degrees and technical certificates. Gone is the dominance of agriculture and manufacturing in most SREB states. These states now must compete in a knowledge economy, but are…

Educational attainment levels increased dramatically for Mexico's labor force in the 1980s and early 1990s. In parallel, the country experienced a pronounced increase in earnings inequality from 1984 to 1994, reflected in a higher dispersion of wages and an absolute decline in the real incomes of less educated, poorer Mexicans. This situation…

Places the financial pressures faced by students, their parents, and colleges and universities in paying higher education costs within the context of long-run, pendulumlike swings in society's interest in promoting access to higher education and enhancing its quality. Higher education is in a transitional period and moving toward improving…

This article proposes that governing boards must carefully consider the implications of the admission and financial aid policy of awarding merit scholarships, without regard for student financial need. Such tuition discounting is seen as particularly problematic for private colleges, misleading to students, and potentially disastrous for…

Examines the extent to which the financial-aid system promotes access to postsecondary education by equalizing income differences. Describes ways in which students and their families cope with the increasing costs of college, and explores the consequences of full-time and part-time work on college persistence. (SLD)

Discusses economic rationales for governmental intervention in the education market. Evaluates different proposals for financing higher education centered on three themes: more reliance on tuition fees, a shift from grants to student loan systems, and different types of voucher models. Discusses various countries' experience with such models. (56…

This report presents an analysis of the debt levels and debt burdens of recent 4-year college graduates, based on student-reported data from five national surveys taken over the period 1977 to 1990. Report sections first describe the data and methodology of the study; second, present these findings and identify specific sub-groups most likely to…

This report presents findings of a national survey on the use of credit cards by college students. A computer-assisted telephone survey of a stratified random sample resulted in a total of 750 completed surveys. Following a chart summarizing selected earlier studies, the report presents the major findings of this survey: (1) credit card use is a…

This document is a report of the audit of Higher Education Services Corporation's (HESC's) audit of the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) at Nassau Community College (New York). A randomly selected sample of 200 out of 20,062 student TAP awards certified by the community college was reviewed and analyzed. Findings determine that the community…

This short paper examined the effects of marriage on eligibility for student assistance programs. Being married as a student has a number of possible effects on eligibility for student assistance depending on one's age and the employment status of one's partner. A few are positive; they result in greater eligibility for assistance. Some are…

Causes of the emerging perception among middle-income students that their educational opportunities are being restricted are discussed, and potential solutions are offered, including controlling college costs, encouraging saving, and borrowing. The role of information and of values and priorities in helping middle-income families pay for college…

This report examines the relationship between grant assistance and overall college affordability by analyzing data, spanning two decades, from the U.S. Department of Education, the College Board, and other higher education organizations. It identifies the following key trends: (1) need-based grant awards are covering a decreasing percentage of the…

This report reviews two decades of trends in college tuition, the effects on student access and college choice, and how governments and institutions have responded. Among major findings are: (1) overall, average tuition and fees have increased almost five-fold over the last two decades; (2) a major cause of higher prices has been the declining…