Community colleges have made great strides in advancing student success and completion during the last decade. But not all students have benefited from these efforts equally. According to the Lumina Foundation, the postsecondary attainment rate for adults in the United States is around 40 percent. Yet, there are still large gaps in attainment…

Community colleges and businesses have a shared interest in preparing students and existing workers to be successful in their careers. Community colleges seek to educate and train individuals in their community to have the knowledge and skills for current jobs and long-term career opportunities. Employers seek employees with both job-specific…

This report shares the perspectives and aspirations of 17 low-income and working-class students based on interviews the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) conducted over two semesters of their college journeys. The report identifies opportunities for policymakers and institutional leaders to support all students through completion,…

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…

With two children already in college and three more in the wings, the Nwanguma family knows about sacrifice. The annual tuition bill for Prince George's Community College typically comes to between $3,500 and $4,000 for the oldest son, Chuka. To afford it, Chuma Nwanguma, a Nigerian immigrant, often works overtime in addition to his regular night…

The 1,175 community colleges in the U.S. share in two key objectives--retaining students by helping them to be successful and keeping college affordable for students. As a community college financial administrator the author knew a little about retention, but she had no idea there may be a correlation between student retention and finances until…

This document presents an assortment of statistical data about higher education in Maryland. The information is presented for a period of years, so that trends can be highlighted. The book is organized by topic into these sections: (1) factors affecting enrollment, including college-going rate of Maryland high school seniors, their intended major,…

This document presents an assortment of statistical data about Maryland postsecondary education. The information is presented for a period of years so that trends can be highlighted. The Trend Book is organized into nine sections: (1) factors affecting enrollment, including college-going rates of high school seniors, their intended majors, their…

This report presents the types of financial support (grants, loans, scholarships and student employment) received by students at Maryland colleges and universities during the 1995-96 academic year. Data tables are organized in the following sections: undergraduate students by segment, graduate students by segment, community colleges, public…

This document presents statistical trend data about Maryland postsecondary education, with most charts covering the period 1988-98. The information is organized into nine sections: (1) factors affecting enrollments--trends in college-going of Maryland high school seniors, their intended majors, college admission scores, and performance in college;…

The NEAIR 2006 Conference Proceedings is a compilation of papers presented at the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania conference. Topics include: Policy Analysis, Grading Policy, State Higher Education Accountability Program, Performance Assessment, Freshmen Transfer Risk, Assessment, Degree Completion, First-Year Academic Success, Effectiveness in…

This publication contains 25 papers from a conference on defining quality higher education. Opening sections cover the conference program and members of the conference's steering committee. A representative sampling of papers includes the following: "The College Student Experiences Questionnaire: A Follow-Up Study of Academic and Social…