In 2004 the 16 Commissioners appointed by the Governor to the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE) initiated a strategic planning process. The purpose of developing a plan was to focus the activity of this small agency and its five staff members in order to increase productivity and impact in the areas of its statutory authority.…

Identified and analyzed the college participation decisions of 13,000 eligible non-recipients of Tennessee state financial aid in fall 1999. Found that 81 percent were enrolled in higher education, but the negative effects of non-receipt of state aid and preexisting economic conditions were found in patterns of institution selection and in…

Examined how students' enrollment responses to college costs--both in college choice and persistence decisions--vary by social class. Found substantial class-based patterns of enrollment behavior in response to prematriculation perceptions of college costs and actual postmatriculation costs, consistently restricting postsecondary opportunities for…

This article raises questions about the degree of equity of higher education in Portugal. It is based on research that the author conducted in 1995 and 1996. From diversified indicators, namely the academic level and social class of the parents of university students in particular, and the Portuguese population, the author concludes that, in…

This report examines access to higher education in underserved regions of Michigan. This study focuses on specific concerns about postsecondary education access in three geographically diverse areas of the state: suburban Macomb County; the city of Saginaw; and six rural counties in the northeastern Lower Peninsula. The report provides a summary…

Students and parents need ample time and accurate information to prepare for the financial burden of a college education--those who lack this knowledge base face a significant access barrier to higher education. The early intervention community is calling for a method of delivering age-appropriate information in a timely manner as one means of…

This report presents findings of a telephone survey of 700 Americans nationwide concerning their attitudes about the importance of a higher education. Closed-ended interviews with all respondents were supplemented by in-depth follow-up interviews with some of the respondents; responses from this survey were compared to those from a similar survey…

This report provides a snapshot of public attitudes toward and knowledge of higher education based on a national telephone survey of 850 U.S. adults. Americans continued to place high social value on a college education, but there was little evidence that Americans wish to pursue knowledge for its own sake. Access to postsecondary education was…

Today, a college degree is an ever-increasing milestone on the road to personal success. Although the gains of education that accrue to the individual are more obvious, society also has much to gain from an educated populous. These dual benefits provide the rationale to spend taxpayer dollars to help capable but economically disadvantaged…

Presents an understanding of the social background and methods of student financing at pre-1939 British universities. Concludes there were many lower, middle, and working class students who attended the universities, dispelling a myth that the wealthy students were the majority prior to World War II. (KDR)

Hispanics can enhance their professional career by finding jobs with corporations that offer to pay for graduate tuition. This opportunity has positively influenced the careers of many Hispanics and has proven advantageous for corporations as well by increasing the knowledge and skills of their employees. (LP)

Discusses the history of student financial aid's emergence as a major issue in American education, including why a policy of financial assistance was initiated, what it sought to accomplish, how national priorities influence those policies, and its current status. Explores how the shift from grants to loans is influencing access, underrepresented…

Four ways to calculate students' net cost of attending college are presented, and merits and drawbacks of each are discussed. Results suggest college remains affordable for most students, and that students have ways to further reduce their net cost. Results also suggest that financial aid programs have had some success in providing access to…

Students and parents need ample time and accurate information to prepare for the financial burden of a college education--those who lack this knowledge base face a significant access barrier to higher education. This problem can be countered by the delivery of comprehensive, integrated financial aid information, an approach identified by the…

The economic success of the state of Texas is dependent upon future market participants having access to higher education. The ability of Texas citizens to access higher education is dependent upon access to financial aid resources to pay for higher education. Much is known about the impact of particular financial aid outcomes on access and…