In the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education, California in the United States famously combined the principles of excellence and access within a steep three-tiered system of Higher Education. It fashioned the world's strongest system of public research universities, while creating an open access system that brought college to millions of American…

The State of Maryland has always prided itself on being a leader in higher education. In 2012, the Career and College Readiness and College Completion Act (CCRCCA) set an ambitious goal: that 55% of Marylanders would have at least one degree by 2025. Reaching this goal requires increasing college access and completion across a wide variety of…

The market-based funding model more commonly known as direct student aid, which was adopted by the federal government during the late 1960s and early 1970s, has created a series of unintended consequences that threaten educational equity and the future of public higher education. The economic and societal impacts of the privatization of US public…

A number of universities in South Africa are sharing teaching materials online making them freely available as Open Educational Resources (OER). The open sharing of teaching materials has been coupled with a number of institutional policy initiatives. This paper seeks to explore the institutional policy landscape of OER in South Africa in order to…

People who complete college or community college earn higher incomes, often much higher, than those with only a high school degree on average. They also have much lower rates of unemployment and are less likely to be in poverty. But Ohio policymakers aren't providing the funding higher education needs to reach that ambitious goal -- instead,…

Ontario's colleges are committed to providing students of all backgrounds with a rewarding postsecondary experience that prepares them for long-term success in their careers. In recent years, colleges have expanded their global outreach as greater numbers of international students enrol in Ontario. The province is a recognized world leader in…

This paper provides an overview of the United States higher education system. It gives readers introductory information about the size, scope and governance model of US higher education. This is a challenging task because higher education in the US is highly decentralized with no single 'system' coordinating all institutions of higher education…

Achieving Washington's state attainment goal of 70% of residents aged 25-44 earning a credential requires not just maintaining but increasing college enrollment among high school graduates and adult learners. Increasing enrollment and reaching the attainment goal among Washingtonians from populations historically excluded from higher education…

Social work ethics oppose discriminatory practices and policies, yet little is known about social work students' awareness of such discrimination. In some U.S. states, education policies discriminate against undocumented youth and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, by limiting access to higher education or imposing prohibitive…

This study explored the voice of students in the Ethiopian higher education context. Stratified sampling and an exploratory research design were employed to understand students' voices. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes and meanings. The strength of students' voices was contrasted with other countries that have implemented the Bologna…

The academic profession in Cambodia has been under growing pressure to pursue excellence in higher education. Nonetheless, various interpretations of what constitutes excellence persist across the public and private sectors, as lecturers follow disparate goals in teaching and research at various jobs and institutions. For many, the diversity of…

The higher education system in America is in need of significant reform. Twin challenges of high cost and low quality require attention from federal policymakers--who oversee tens of billions in federal aid to colleges and universities annually. In recent years, some policymakers, most notably during the Obama Administration, have singled out…

California's higher education system has three public segments: the University of California (UC), the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges. It also includes more than 150 private nonprofit colleges and about 160 for-profit institutions. In total, the state's colleges and universities enroll almost three million…

Two trends in the evolution of quality assurance in Canadian postsecondary education have been the emergence of outcomes-based quality standards and the demand for balancing accountability and improvement. Using a realist, process-based approach to impact analysis, this study examined four quality assurance events at two universities and two…

This brief explores forces that have affected college tuition over the postwar period. College costs, general subsidies, and changes in the national distribution of income have all affected the trajectory of college tuition over time. The idea that more generous federal grants and loans cause upward pressure on list-price tuition has only been…