The ever-increasing costs and debt incurred by US college students is a hotly contested issue. In March 2022, The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) released a refreshed strategic plan for the state's higher education: Building a Talent Strong Texas. The refreshed plan concentrated on access for minority populations, enhanced…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational-predictive study was to determine to what extent, if any, instructional costs and student services costs together and separately predict retention rates in the state of Texas in private postsecondary institutions. Based on Tinto's theory of institutional departure, the predictor variables were…

This paper studies the causal impacts of public universities on the outcomes of their marginally admitted students. I use administrative admission records spanning all 35 public universities in Texas, which collectively enroll 10 percent of American public university students, to systematically identify and employ decentralized cutoffs in SAT/ACT…

The real price of college keeps rising, and it often surprises students and their families.1 People know tuition is expensive. They also usually account for books and supplies, even if they might cost more than expected. Still, they don't always expect or fully understand how the price of housing, food, and transportation factor in. It's not their…

This paper explores the effects of community college tuition reductions on student enrollment decisions and graduation probabilities. The study leverages changes in community college taxing districts in Texas. The paper examines five community colleges who annexed municipalities into their taxing districts from 1994 to 2012. The study uses a…

Undocumented immigrants constitute about 3.5% of the current US population and Texas ranks second, after California, in the number of unauthorized immigrant population. Annually, about 65,000 undocumented children graduate from American high schools. Using the variation provided by the in-state resident tuition policy of Texas, the author…

A long overdue, much needed transformation is underway in the higher education system. It started a decade ago, when federal and state policy­makers first began to collect data on what students earn after pursuing a postsecondary education. But new data are fundamentally differ­ent. Unlike broad-based national statistics, such as how much someone…

According to the Department of Education (Federal Student Aid Handbook, 2016), the cost of attendance is an estimate of a student's educational expenses for the period of enrollment. Cost of attendance is not only as important to consider as tuition and fees (which are only one component of cost of attendance), but it serves as the cornerstone of…

College is getting harder to afford every year. Debt mounts and jobs, especially in certain industries, don't necessarily provide the financial return they once did. It should come as no surprise to administrators that students and families are feeling the pinch. Rather than ignore the problem, higher education leaders, policymakers, and others…

The Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation (TG) offers critical support to schools, students, and borrowers at every stage of the federal student aid process--from providing information on how to pay for a higher education, including financial aid options, to facilitating successful loan repayment after graduation. As part of that support, this…

The purpose of a state report card is to provide the general public and policymakers with information to assess and improve post secondary education in each state. "Measuring Up 2008" is the fifth in a series of biennial report cards that evaluates states in six overall performance categories: (1) Preparation for post-secondary education…

As part of its Performance Accountability Framework, the Commission analyzed the affordability of public colleges and universities. This report summarizes how the real cost of a college education in California changed between 1996 and 2004 and examines the way students at California's public colleges and universities paid for their education. In…

The purpose of a state report card is to provide the general public and policymakers with information to assess and improve post secondary education in each state. "Measuring Up 2008" is the fifth in a series of biennial report cards that evaluates states in six overall performance categories: (1) Preparation for post-secondary education…

This E.D. TAB presents selected findings about the price of attendance and the types and amounts of financial aid received by in-state undergraduates enrolled in public 2-year, public 4-year, and private not-for-profit 4-year institutions during the 2003-04 academic year in 12 selected states. It is based on the undergraduate data in the 2003-04…

The purpose of this state report card is to provide the general public and policymakers with information they can use to assess and improve postsecondary education in each state. "Measuring Up 2006" is the fourth in a series of biennial report cards. The report card grades states in six overall performance categories: (1) Preparation:…