A key determinant of the new relationship between students and universities in Australia is the changing nature of higher education funding arrangements and the shift towards "user-pays". In 2007, the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) completed a commissioned national study, "Australian University Student Finances…

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) commissioned a review of the available literature on the impact of the introduction of means-tested contributions to tuition fees for full-time undergraduates from 1998-1999. The overall objective was to provide evidence to assist the HEFCE's ongoing assessment of future levels of student…

The head of the largest community college in the United States, Miami-Dade Community College, warns that the ebbing of need-based financial aid threatens the efforts of the poor and minorities to gain a postsecondary education. (EV)

Examines the accessibility of higher education in nine western European countries in terms of selectivity and affordability. Finds much variation in relative selectivity, ranging from strong entrance selection procedures (Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) to those with open systems (Austria, Belgium-Flanders, and the Netherlands). Finds…

America's higher education system is among the best in the world. Nevertheless, there is scope for improvement. In particular, there appear to be substantial financial barriers to higher education despite large government expenditures aimed at promoting access. Policy makers have proposed addressing these barriers by increasing student grants.…

A survey of 601 leaders was conducted to identify the concerns of those who are most involved with decision making about higher education and what they see for the future. Individuals surveyed included professors, higher education deans and administrators, government officials, and business leaders. The study found that disagreements between…

Tens of thousands of students, especially those from low-income and minority groups, are unprepared academically for higher education, come from backgrounds in which college aspirations are not the norm, or lack the information they need to gain access. In addition, there is a growing difference in the rate at which students from different income…

As a faculty member/administrator at a community college for more than 40 years, the author has seen first hand the role that education can play in transforming lives. He also can see that low tuition, the main pillar of their policy of open access, is giving way in the face of declining state and local support. This certainly is a form of…

Since 2000, the "Measuring Up" report cards have evaluated the progress of the nation and individual states in providing Americans with education and training beyond high school through the bachelor's degree. The purpose of the series is to assist the nation and the states in improving higher education opportunity and effectiveness.…

Low-income students and students whose parents have not attended college typically are less likely than middle- and upper-income students to complete high school and attend college, and are thus less likely to reap the benefits of attending college. Lack of information, resources, and exposure to others who have navigated the college process may…

One of the most pressing questions in American higher education today is how to make high-quality education available to all who seek it. At the heart of discussions of access and quality are matters of cost and price. How much will it cost an institution to make high-quality education available, and what will be the price for those who want that…

This report examines some of the major issues that Congress is likely to confront in considering future use of student aid programs by proprietary school students. Chapter 1 presents an historical overview of proprietary school participation in Title IV student aid programs and Chapter 2 explores the current participation of proprietary school…

This paper was prepared as a step in the consultation process to develop a Blueprint for Change that will take postsecondary education in Alberta through the next decade. The Blueprint will identify key strategies to shape future directions and identify priorities for change. This document reflects feedback from stakeholders to a previous…

Tuition discounting, the use of institutionally funded grants to help defray students' college costs, came into vogue in the late 1970s and has since become standard practice at U.S. four-year colleges and universities. Institutions use the discounts for a variety of purposes, but generally their use is to manage or tailor enrollment in some…

The selections in this volume explore the debates surrounding issues of affordability, access, and accountability in higher education. The contributors identify these issues as the three key policy issues facing public higher education in the opening years of the new century. Following an introduction, "The Changing Dynamics of Affordability,…