This paper examines how colleges respond to the introduction of broad merit aid programs. Previous research has emphasized the impact of merit aid on enrollment, student choices, and post-matriculation outcomes. Yet much less is known about how state-implemented merit aid programs affect colleges' financial decisions. To explore impacts, college…

The driving force behind the recent increase in financial aid for college education is the rapid growth of state merit-based grant programs that provide scholarships to students who meet predefined standards of academic preparation at the state level, and this trend represents one of the most pronounced policy shifts away from a long tradition of…

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) commissioned this paper to help policy leaders and decision makers understand the impact of selected state financial aid programs on students' choices--choices of which college to attend, where to attend college, and even whether to attend college at all. As the paper shows, states…

The impact of a new policy in Minnesota that raised college tuition while also increasing state student aid funding was studied. A literature review examines the influence of economic, psychological, sociological, and cultural factors on student attendance patterns. In addition to access, choice, and persistence, the study considered educational…

Goals of student financial aid programs in Maryland as well as student financial needs are discussed, based on the work of the Financial Aid Task Force of the Maryland State Board for Higher Education. Task Force recommendations are also provided. Four goals for student financial aid programs are discussed: to insure access for qualified entering…

The current trends in college student migration and implications for higher education are discussed. Declining trends in interstate migration are rapidly limiting institutional diversity by increasing the homogeneity of student bodies. Diversity of experience and education has been noted as fostering and strengthening individual, institutional,…