Federal Student Aid's core mission is to ensure that all eligible Americans benefit from federal financial assistance--grants, loans and work-study programs--for education beyond high school. The programs administered comprise the nation's largest source of student aid: during the 2005-06 school year alone, approximately $78 billion in new aid was…

This report looks at the affordability of public 4-year post-secondary education in 50 US States and 10 Canadian provinces. Public 4-year post-secondary education was found to be more affordable in the United States on five of the six affordability measures in the report; on the sixth, the two countries were tied. In general, in the United States…

Responding to Brighouse's comments, we discuss ways that institutions of higher education themselves can increase access for low-income students. We argue for the important role of community colleges and for bridge programs that colleges can establish with middle and high schools to ensure that students take the subjects necessary to prepare them…

The Pell Grants, loan programs, and campus-based aid provided by Title IV of the Higher Education Act now provide almost 80% of all aid awarded to college students in the United States. Although the programs have helped increase the number of Americans attaining higher education, much more needs to be done. In 1993, the college completion rate was…

This report summarizes an educational forum organized by the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) and held in Genting, Malaysia on November 6-8, 1990, to discuss the experience of student loans in Australia, the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. 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…

The United States is in need of new strategies to address the historic inequity of access to its colleges and universities. Australia, with its system of deferred tuition and income-contingent repayment, can serve as a source of insight and guidance in addressing this problem and function as an interesting and helpful comparative case. In this…

Although there is a great deal of disagreement about how to handle the changes that confront postsecondary education, few will suggest that being wedded to the status quo is sufficient. Many contend that the future of higher education is up for grabs; how those of us in the "industry" respond will determine whether American higher…

A key objective of the Pathways to College Network is to disseminate effective, research-based practices and policies that address access and managing college costs. As part of its effort to inform parents, families, students, and policymakers, it has compiled here a few of the key principles and strategies that underlay a well-focused financial…

Studied factors and characteristics that influence students' likelihood of pursuing postsecondary education through a survey completed by 1,372 high school seniors. Findings show that of the top 10 factors influencing college choice, four were related to cost. (SLD)

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…

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)

Upward Bound directors in Maine began collaboration in the early 1980s and have developed a network that plays an important part in serving their students. This article is a collection of their comments about this collaboration and their Upward Bound programs. (JM)

The vast disparities in college attendance and graduation rates between students from different class backgrounds is a growing social concern. "Economic Inequality and Higher Education" investigates the connection between income inequality and unequal access to higher education, and proposes solutions that the state and federal governments and…

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…