In the first decade of the 21st century, the nation, the states, and colleges and universities began to grapple with the challenges of globalization, changing demography, the implications of the digital era, and of a less expansive public sector. Although not a transformative period for higher education, the decade saw significant innovations in…

Many colleges and universities provide grant aid to undergraduates to help them pay for all or part of the tuition and fees charged by the institution. This study provides information about recent trends in institutional aid receipt and then examines the relationship between such aid and the likelihood of recipients staying enrolled in the…

The "Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005" created two new grant programs for undergraduates: the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) program and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (National SMART) Grant program. The ACG program is intended to encourage students to take challenging courses in high school and thus…

Each year, the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs (NASSGAP) completes a survey regarding state-funded expenditures for postsecondary student financial aid. This report, the 36th annual survey, represents data from academic year 2004-05. Data highlights of this survey include: (1) In the 2004-2005 academic year, the states…

This report presents statistical data on admission and in-course merit scholarships awarded to full-time undergraduate students at Ontario universities. Highlights include: (1) 16 percent of the first-year entering class received admission scholarships and 9 percent of the upper-year class received in-course scholarships; (2) females received more…

Ten years ago, the state best known for its peaches launched a revolution that still reverberates in the halls of colleges and universities across the country. Faced with a plethora of poorly performing high-school students and a growing number of graduates fleeing the state for postsecondary study, Georgia unveiled its Helping Outstanding Pupils…

As of 2005, 15 states had adopted a broad-based merit aid program, providing a combined $1.2 billion for college students on the basis of academic qualifications. This represents a shift away from a long tradition of need-based aid at the state and federal levels. This article utilizes a Cox proportional hazards model to analyze states'…

Each year, the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs (NASSGAP) completes a survey regarding state-funded expenditures for postsecondary student financial aid. This report, the 34th annual survey, represents data from academic year 2002-03. Data highlights include: (1) In the 2002-03 academic year, the states awarded about…

Each year, the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs (NASSGAP) completes a survey regarding state-funded expenditures for postsecondary student financial aid. This report, the 35th annual survey, represents data from academic year 2003-04. Data highlights include: (1) In the 2003-2004 academic year, the states awarded about…

Reports on a $1 billion dollar grant from Bill and Melinda Gates to send 20,000 low-income minority students to college. The Gates Millenium Scholars Program will require students to demonstrate financial need and maintain a 3.0 grade point average in college. A list of the largest private gifts to higher education since 1967 is also provided. (DB)

The State of Alaska and many other states are concerned with the issue of public funding of private institutions. Alaska's State Tuition Equalization Program was ruled unconstitutional in 1976; currently there are no grants programs for students wanting to attend public and private institutions of higher education. The importance of federal and…

This report, sixth in a series of updates by State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), is a comprehensive assessment of state policies related to public college and university tuition, fees, and financial aid. Significant variation was found among the states in the basic philosophy that guides decision making regarding tuition levels in…

This study, mandated by Virginia law in 1999, reviews need-based student financial aid programs. The mandate specifies that the study must review policies and implementation strategies used in other states; present alternative policies and administrative structures for need-based programs in Virginia; provide alternatives for a simplified,…

This report discusses the policy implications of the increasing role played by grants provided by colleges and universities as a source of financial aid for students and their families. It underscores the direct and indirect connections between changes in federal and state policy and institutions' aid programs, focusing on the effects of the…

The members of the National Association of State Scholarship and Grant Programs (NASSGP) are surveyed annually to collect data on state- and U.S. territory-funded scholarship and grant programs to undergraduate and graduate students to attend public or private postsecondary institutions. The following are among the highlights reported in this…