Research has indicated that family social class, college readiness, and college affordability are factors for post-secondary barriers (Freeman, 2005). The term family social class refers to sociocultural aspects, behaviors, knowledge, and lifestyles into which one is socialized by one's family (Bourdieu, 1979). Bordes-Edgar et al. (2011) define…

Sallie Mae partnered with Ipsos, a global independent market research company, to introduce a new 2020 study, "Higher Ambitions: How America Plans for Post-secondary Education." The study is designed to understand high school students' plans for after they graduate high school. In addition, it examines the value students and their…

As student loans, the cost of college tuition, and even value of higher education remain at the forefront of public discussion, one thing remains true: Affordability is central to adult learners' academic success, and money is one of the primary reasons why adult learners stop out before they graduate. This report takes a deep dive into the…

This is the executive summary for the study "How They Pay: The Voices of Adult Learners on College Affordability, and How Institutions are Responding." The study is based on data from a national survey of 996 adult learners, in-depth interviews with 47 adults from 14 institutions, and interviews with financial aid personnel from six of…

This playbook provides ways in which students and their families can blur the lines between high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce. Students are the most important stakeholders to Raise the Bar for student success and can play an active role in shaping the "education-to-workforce" system to focus on Unlocking Career…

The time is now to examine the nation's capacity to help guide students in gaining access to, paying for, and graduating from college. College promise programs have served as an excellent model. But because a uniform, national college promise model would not adequately serve the estimated 20 million students in postsecondary education, ETS and…

Young people with foster care history need financial support to attain their educational goals. Are these young people getting the financial support they need for college? How do their financial aid packages compare with those of their peers? Does the Education and Training Voucher program meet their needs? If not, how can it be improved? To…

Universities can help level up by boosting earnings, transforming towns and delivering vocational and technical education. They fulfil the aspirations of many young people. In this paper, David Willetts explores how to boost participation in higher education while cutting public spending. He argues it is reasonable to expect graduates to pay for…

Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, ensures that all eligible Americans benefit from federal financial assistance--grants, loans, and work-study programs for education beyond high school. By championing the promise of postsecondary education, the office upholds its value as a force for greater inclusion in American…

The development of cost-efficient pathways is a topic of increasing political and scholarly interest across many North American jurisdictions. It has been suggested that 'seamless' transfer pathways can provide financial savings to both students and taxpayers. However, such claims are typically based on hypothetical cost calculations, as opposed…

The research question of this study was: How do the lack of cultural capital and the demand for academic credentials dictate educational opportunities and the enrollment of vulnerable student populations at for-profit schools? This study examined the enrollment of students, especially those of lower-socioeconomic status in for-profit schools. The…

The economic and social landscape that young people encounter today is substantially more complex and challenging than the one faced by earlier generations. Technological change and globalization have transformed the labor market, increasing the value of postsecondary education and hollowing out industries that once employed many workers who had…

Postsecondary education is a key pathway to economic mobility for many Americans, but financial challenges often make it difficult for learners to pursue and complete their education. Obtaining financing for postsecondary education can be a barrier to access for some students. The process is complicated, and many programs are ineligible for…

The Wyoming Community College System strategic plan charts an exciting course forward for the next five years. The 2021-2025 strategic plan is crafted to provide a direction forward for the Wyoming Community College System and compliment the many statewide educational initiatives including the individual community colleges' strategic plans, and…

This publication describes the methods and procedures used for the 2017-18 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, Administrative Collection (NPSAS:18-AC). It also provides information that will be helpful to analysts in accessing and understanding the restricted-use files containing the NPSAS:18-AC data. NPSAS:18-AC includes cross-sectional,…