For decades, college tuition costs have been skyrocketing, yet state financial aid has failed to meet the increasing economic needs of college students -- leaving many young people with the choice of bridging the financial gap by taking out student loans or not attending college at all. This pressing issue of rising college tuition is not just a…

Undocumented students face numerous hardships in their pursuit of higher education. Those who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program experience some improved college access and tuition affordability, but many administrative and financial barriers continue to impede their educational pursuits. This qualitative work…

Education Commission of the States (ECS) conducted interviews with members of the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) in six states to gather insights into current and critical state policy issues. This summative paper outlines the findings of these interviews, which took place between May and July 2021. The interviews also gathered input…

Three National College Attainment Network (NCAN) member organizations (a total of seven individuals) participated in interviews regarding postsecondary access and attainment policy in Ohio. Interviewees identified several policy priorities in the state--notably, FAFSA completion and college affordability. These policy issues and emerging trends…

Nearly a quarter of all undergraduate students in the U.S. are parents. All parents, especially younger parents and those returning to school after years in the workforce, face a system that was not designed to accommodate their needs as caretakers. The needs of student parents have become even more acute during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has…

College-bound recipients of DACA--a 2012 US administrative policy officially titled Consideration for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals--face a series of administrative and financial barriers in pursuing postsecondary education. These barriers often include a complicated process for in-state tuition consideration, as well as exclusion from…

Ohio has a world-class network of public colleges. However, the state lags behind the nation in college attainment. Recognizing that the state must improve these numbers, Ohio policymakers have committed to a goal of 65 percent college attainment by 2025. Despite the state's attainment goal, Ohio does not have a college promise program. The Ohio…

Ohio has a world-class network of public colleges. However, the state lags behind the nation in college attainment. Recognizing that the state must improve these numbers, Ohio policymakers have committed to a goal of 65 percent college attainment by 2025. Despite the state's attainment goal, Ohio does not have a college promise program. The Ohio…

Benefits Access for College Completion (BACC) was designed to help colleges develop new policies that increase low-income students' access to public benefits, easing their financial burden to allow them to finish school and earn postsecondary credentials. Colleges participating in BACC have developed and institutionalized scalable, sustainable…

This is the eighth annual report by the Stark Education Partnership on dual enrollment and other post secondary opportunities (PSOs) for the county's high school students. In addition to dual enrollment, this report looks at a portfolio of the county's PSOs that includes Canton Early College High School, and the opportunity to bank future college…

National and regional trends mask important variation among states in the supply of high school graduates. This profile provides brief indicators for Ohio related to: current levels of educational attainment, projections of high school graduates into the future, and two common barriers to student access and success--insufficient academic…

This article examines the pervasive difficulties experienced by first-generation students in their quest to attend postsecondary settings. A change in the profile of the undergraduate student body has changed dramatically with respect to first-generation students' age, enrollment status, and family conditions. These students are likely to enter…

Prosperous regions are educated regions. Ohio's relatively low share of residents with college degrees has concerned one governor after the other and proposals for managing Ohio's university system have differed substantially. The Kasich administration's higher education proposal, the "Enterprise University Plan for Ohio," is based on…

Prosperous regions are educated regions. Ohio's relatively low share of residents with college degrees has concerned one governor after the other and proposals for managing Ohio's university system have differed substantially. The Kasich administration's higher education proposal, the "Enterprise University Plan for Ohio," is based on…

The United States faces a period of opportunity for reinvention unlike any other, and the need for dramatic reform extends to higher education. Today, the United States is at a crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges in meeting expectations and upholding values that have long distinguished the nation. For the benefit of every American,…