The escalating cost of higher education is causing many to question the value of continuing education beyond high school. To determine whether higher education is worth the investment, it is useful to examine what is known about the value of higher education and the rates of return on investment to both the individual and society. There is…

Student success in college has never been more important. The economic advantage to baccalaureate degree holders remains substantial, with college graduates averaging a million dollars more in lifetime earnings than high school graduates. There is also the long list of non-pecuniary benefits of college--intellectual development and critical…

Tennessee Code Annotated (T.C.A.) Section 49-7-202 (c) (7) requires the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to "submit a biennial report to the governor and the general assembly, commenting upon major developments, trends, new policies, budgets and financial considerations which in the judgment of the commission will be useful to the…

Half of college students drop out before completing a degree. These low rates of college completion among young people should be viewed in the context of slow future growth in the educated labor force, as the well-educated baby boomers retire and new workers are drawn from populations with historically low education levels. This paper establishes…

This paper presents the findings of the 2008 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). This year, CCSSE zeroes in on high expectations and high support as it presents the results of its 2008 survey. Both are critical to student success: Students do best when expectations are high "and" they receive support that helps them achieve at…

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…

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…

Tennessee Code Annotated (T.C.A.) Section 49-7-2 (c) (7) requires the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to "submit a biennial report to the governor and the general assembly, commenting upon major developments, trends, new policies, budgets and financial considerations which in the judgment of the commission will be useful to the governor…

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission was created in 1967 by the Tennessee General Assembly to achieve coordination and foster unity with regard to higher education. The Commission coordinates two systems of higher education: the University of Tennessee institutions governed by the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees, and the state…

Educational attainment levels increased dramatically for Mexico's labor force in the 1980s and early 1990s. In parallel, the country experienced a pronounced increase in earnings inequality from 1984 to 1994, reflected in a higher dispersion of wages and an absolute decline in the real incomes of less educated, poorer Mexicans. This situation…

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)

Computes rates of return to education in Singapore for 1980-1994, using the cost-benefit approach. Rates of return varied with education level. Although remaining higher than return rates for secondary education, those for tertiary education were declining. Polytechnic education enjoys the highest social/private return rates. (Contains 40…

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education's report,"Measuring Up 2006: The National Report Card on Higher Education" found that among 27 industrialized nations, the United States has fallen to fifth in the percentage of young adults enrolled in college and has dropped to sixteenth in the proportion of those students…

This paper presents the findings of the 2008 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). This year, CCSSE zeroes in on high expectations and high support as it presents the results of its 2008 survey. Both are critical to student success: Students do best when expectations are high "and" they receive support that helps them…

This paper examines some of the factors that affect the college choice of students from low-income families, specifically as it relates to college costs, and presents the results of a qualitative study on the factors that motivated the college attendance and choice of eight students from low-income families enrolled at a small, moderately…