This essay is a discussion of the lived experiences of first-generation college students each August when they arrive on a college campus for the first time. The author's approach offers a reflective component for institutions of higher education to consider when creating support or programs for first-generation students as they navigate an…

Although the online delivery format can increase access to higher education, access does not necessarily translate to success for online learners. The purpose of this study was first to assess the needs of online students, particularly those with low GPAs and those who identified as male, at a graduate school of education. Results of a needs…

Across the country, governors and other state officials understand the vital role college plays in workforce preparation to increase the competitiveness of their state economies. However, neither students' and families' incomes nor Pell Grants and other student aid have kept up with the cost of college, making affordability a significant barrier…

With the conclusion of major military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. institutions of higher learning are experiencing an inflow of student veterans on a scale not seen since the conclusion of World War II. In response, a large number of American colleges and universities quickly sought to exploit this glut of new students by arbitrarily…

Good practice notes offer practical advice and examples of good practice to guide operations in regard to specific, higher education issues. The good practice notes are intended to support and promote the quality assurance approaches of providers. This Good Practice Note identifies examples of good practice in Australian higher education providers…

For a variety of reasons, student engagement in general education continues to be a challenge. Perhaps one way to increase engagement is to connect general education with a deep student need: finding meaning and purpose in their lives or exploring what some have called "big questions." Recent scholarship has defined these clusters of…

As the economy in the United States continues to emerge from a recession and as jobs become more technologically advanced rendering other jobs obsolete, more and more Americans over the age of 50 are now attending college for a variety of reasons. Around 77% of the so-called Plus 50 students were enrolled in two-year public institutions. Other…

Transgender students are a marginalized group of students who are calling for recognition and acceptance of their identities. Although Title IX assures students of freedom from discrimination based on sexual identity, many schools are struggling with policies that adequately provide these protections. Based on a previous qualitative study…

More than 1 million U.S. high schoolers participate each year in dual enrollment, taking college courses that simultaneously fulfill high school graduation requirements and count toward a postsecondary degree or workforce credential. While most systems still have equity gaps in dual enrollment access, 20 percent do not. In "The Dual…

Aspen and the Community College Research Center studied nine dual enrollment programs across three states--Florida, Ohio, and Washington--that have narrowed or closed equity gaps in dual enrollment for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and Pacific Islander students. Based on this research, "The Dual Enrollment Playbook" describes the five…

Hundreds of thousands of current and former service members enter college each year, and their ranks are expected to swell as several major US military engagements overseas wind down. This article presents the following questions: (1) What is the overall success rate for student service members and veterans attending US colleges and universities;…

This book aims to reflect the contours of the notion of aid as it is questioned by current scientific research. This notion appears as fuzzy in its scope of intervention, in its methods of multidisciplinary and multi-referential approaches in theoretical frameworks convened. Present in different areas that we propose to investigate in the book…

Through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, the federal government provides more financial aid for higher education than any other institution. But because of discriminatory laws the FAFSA treats families headed by two mothers or two fathers differently than families headed by a mother and a father. This treatment distributes…

Today teachers in schools and lecturers in institutions of higher learning are endowed with a wide range of new teaching experiences through web-based teaching and learning approaches (WBTLA), which was not possible before through the traditional classroom approach. With the use of WBTLA emerged problems related to usability in technical,…

To serve students and society well, higher education needs to make a pervasive commitment to equity and inclusive excellence--both preparing students for and providing them with access to high-quality learning opportunities, and ensuring that students of color and low-income students participate in the most empowering forms of college learning.…