Most Americans expect the nation's colleges and universities to promote the goal of social mobility to make it possible for anyone with ability and motivation to succeed. But according to Robert Haveman and Timothy Smeeding, income-related gaps both in access to and in success in higher education are large and growing. In the top-tier colleges and…

College preferences and choices of a sample of high-ability high school seniors applying to colleges in spring 1984 were studied to determine the award of no-need (merit) aid to the students and the degree to which such aid influences college choices, in relation to other factors. A multistage model of college choice behavior was employed that…

The Millennium Scholarship Program, which provides merit-based scholarships for Nevada's students, is designed to increase college participation, college persistence, and the number of in-state students enrolling in state institutions of higher education (IHEs). Data gathered over the past five years reflect that Nevada's Millennium Scholarship…

Over the last century, Americans have formed a social contract with higher education through the development of and changes to student financial aid programs. These federal, state, and institutional programs are the manifestation of the value we place on who should and who does pay the costs of higher education. Grants versus loans and low-income…

The use of merit scholarships to keep bright students at in-state colleges is discussed. Today more than half of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states have credited merit scholarships to encourage their top high school graduates to attend in-state colleges. While athletic scholarships often receive greater visibility, SREB states are…

This report examines state policies and policy development activities regarding student preparation for college. Three policy areas are the focus of the analysis: (1) raising admissions requirements for public four-year colleges, (2) providing regular feedback to high schools on student preparation, and (3) establishing statewide merit aid…

Youngstown State University (Ohio) established a full-cost renewable scholarship for 40 students annually who maintain a 3.5 or higher grade point average. The program is described, including results of the first three years' recruitment, first-year academic requirements, cocurricular activities, community service component, scholarship renewal,…

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…

[New England Resource Center for Higher Education's] NERCHE's think tank members recently participated in a discussion of the competitive forces driving change in higher education. The discussion, facilitated by The Futures Project: Policy for Higher Education in a Changing World (www.futuresproject.org), revealed tremendous concern among faculty…

This volume provides information on 1,100 merit scholarships and other no-need funding programs available specifically to high school seniors applying to college. Programs listed in the guide make decisions based upon student academic records, writing or artistic ability, speech-making skills, religious or ethnic background, parents'…

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 fourth annual report on Florida's progress toward excellence in the State University System is presented. A total of 20 "indicators" of quality were used; they include the following seven national measures of efforts toward reaching the upper quartile of state university systems: (1) average full-time faculty salaries, (2) number of…

The fifth annual report on Florida's progress toward excellence in education within its state university system describes the status of the system according to 20 indicators of quality. They include the following seven national measures of efforts toward reaching the upper quartile of state university systems: (1) average full-time faculty…