Some financial issues in postsecondary education which, though more or less obscured by other concerns at present, may soon gain national attention. These issues are: our national policy of regarding postsecondary education as a discretionary spending item in either inflationary or recessionary times; the steady-state syndrome, a mind-set that…

The document analyzes economic factors that might cause the output of educational services to diverge from the theoretical optimum because of a divergence between marginal social valuation and marginal social cost. Education contains both investment and consumption aspects. The analysis shows that the only distortion resulting from uncertainty…

A study of income flow patterns and individual decisions to undertake college-level study suggests that perceived income and other labor market prospects influence student decisions but vary with age and discipline. Although females perceive lower income, that lower income does not statistically affect the decision to attend college. (MSE)

Reports results of an in-depth study of 401 child-care centers in California, Colorado, Connecticut and North Carolina, related to cost, quality, and child outcomes. Discusses differences in the centers' budgets by level of quality across and among for-profit, independent nonprofit, and church- affiliated centers. Highlights the lack of strong…

This report presents the findings of a major study of preschool provision in Scotland. Part 1 of the report sets the context for the project, clarifying its aims, providing information on relevant issues, and discussing the research questions addressed. Part 2 presents the findings arising from the various methods used to collect evidence.…

This report focuses on issues relating to replenishing California's college faculty and increasing the number of faculty due to increasing student enrollment. The report provides recommendations for both higher education institutions and the State on 12 policy options that hold promise for increasing the supply of individuals with doctoral degrees…

The recent marked increase in voter-taxpayer rejection of school budget and school bond issues at polls across the United States -- a phenomenon popularly called the "taxpayers' revolt" -- has given rise to the widespread claim that public school finance is in a state of crisis. This paper develops a simplified model of a political…

In a controlled experiment, the IIEP attempted to develop efficient teaching materials in the field of educational planning. Informal instructional materials were compiled from the tape recordings, transcriptions, and summary notes of seminars, lectures, and discussions conducted by the IIEP in its training and research program. This instructional…

Recent Australian policy allowing higher education institutions to market their services to overseas students at full cost and the resulting pressures to privatize public higher education further are discussed in the context of both general educational and economic principles and the specific conditions of Australian education. (MSE)

Planning for higher education in Washington State is described, including the structure of higher education, the state board's master plan, and progress to date in implementing that plan in a context of rapid and unforeseen economic and political change. Issues discussed include tuition trends, student financial aid, and task force recommendations…

Since the 1960s there has been a major expansion in the number of people in Australia holding post school educational credentials and the proportion of the full time work force with those credentials. The penalties of not holding credentials, in terms of the incidence and duration of unemployment, are increasingly severe. At the same time, there…

This paper examines the issue of the responsibility of higher education institutions (HEIs) for and response to rising unemployment rates and economic decline within Australian society. It presents an analysis of the salary and employment status of college graduates over time, revealing that types of graduates with initially high levels of…

Looking primarily at the issues of black students at South African universities and of access and bursaries, the seven articles contained in this document focus on access to tertiary education, the kind of support provided to students once they have gained access, and the roles for which people are being educated. Following an introduction by John…

In recent years Zambia has experienced increasingly grave financial problems. The decline in the economy has affected all sectors, including education. The deterioration occurred at a time when the population was growing at a rapid rate. Hence the education sector has been subject to two opposing pressures: a fiscal pressure to curtail financial…

Lowering dropout levels would not necessarily make society better off and, consequently, student aid policy should not be evaluated by its effects on dropout. Analysis of the model of postsecondary enrollment and completion developed in this paper results in two striking findings. First, making reduction of dropouts the policy goal yields the…