In the past few decades, the cost of college has risen significantly, while federal, state, and institutional financial aid and family income have remained stagnant or declined (Goldrick-Rab, 2018). As a result, many college students struggle to afford the full cost of college attendance and may experience basic needs insecurity, including the…

In response to rising college tuition and student debt over the past three decades, some institutions, localities, and states have implemented a range of tuition-free promise programs to promote college access and success. Programs vary widely in their design features, including eligibility stipulations and award structure. I explore the growing…

Food pantries are becoming as ubiquitous on campuses as classrooms and quads. More than seven hundred campus food banks are members of the College and University Food Bank Alliance, and a NASPA survey of roughly five hundred campuses found that half offer resources to address food insecurity. This article discusses how the need for food pantries'…

Historic preservation has significant impact on communities. The purpose of this study was to involve students in a historically based, culturally diverse community project in a rural region of Arkansas in order to make a positive impact in that region. Interior Design Program students (n = 6) within the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences…

This paper reviews recent evidence on the labor market returns to credit accumulation, certificates, and associate degrees from community colleges. Evidence is collated from estimates of earnings gaps across college students using large-scale, statewide administrative datasets from eight states. Six of these states were partners of the Center for…

We performed this study to better understand communities' health priorities and willingness to participate in research in order to reduce health disparities. To include communities whose members often experience health disparities and may lack opportunities to participate in research, student interns from multiple disciplines administered the…

Now, more than ever, more adults must earn college credentials in order to earn family sustaining wages and to help fuel and sustain a robust national economy. That means that institutions of higher education must do all they can to help adult students enroll in college and complete a postsecondary credential. Achieving the Dream emphasizes a…

Many states are experimenting with mechanisms for making college more affordable while maintaining quality and access. This report examines promising or innovative state programs to improve college affordability and credential attainment. Many of these approaches show innovative thinking and bear watching to see if they result in meaningful…

At a time of sustained unemployment and sluggish job growth, students and policymakers are increasingly asking tough questions about postsecondary education and training outcomes. Do graduates find jobs? What are they paid? What will they earn in the future? Despite growing national interest in this information, good answers are not widely…

This study investigated a federal comprehensive community initiative, the Promise Neighborhood initiative, in order to understand higher education community engagement in an embedded context. Promise Neighborhood programs aim to create a place-based system of family and education services that can support youth from early childhood through college…

This State Profile from the Delta Cost Project presents data on key Delta metrics for public research, master's, bachelor's, and community college sectors in the state of Arkansas. The data are limited to a five-year period, showing data for the most recent year, and the five-year change.

The American higher education system considers itself a primary avenue to opportunity. As providers of broad access to postsecondary education, community colleges are arguably the most vital organ in that pulsing system. But there is a growing acknowledgment that access alone is no longer enough. "Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges…

For generations the Arkansas Delta has been a region of poverty, low academic achievement, and low workforce skills. Representing nine counties in the region, four community colleges and a university 300 miles away have joined together to form the Arkansas Delta Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Project (ADSTEP).…

Information on the geographic and institutional origins of students at 32 Arkansas state and private colleges and universities in the fall 1980 is presented in tabular, geographic, and narrative form. Although the number of full-time, entering students from both Arkansas and out-of-state has declined, their proportions have remained relatively…

Information on the geographic and institutional origins of students at Arkansas state and private colleges and universities in fall 1984 is presented in tabular, geographic, and narrative form. Entering students numbered 13,072 in fall 1983, a 3.32% decline from the fall 1982 figure of 13,521. The college-bound rate of Arkansas high school…