This study explored factors that influence the postsecondary career decisions of 427 11th and 12th grade students in a guaranteed tuition-based school district in a Midwestern state. Since 2005, this district has had a "Promise" program where eligible students can get up to 100% of their postsecondary tuition paid to attend a college,…

This brief is one in a series aimed at providing K-12 education decision makers and advocates with an evidence base to ground discussions about how to best serve students during and following the novel coronavirus pandemic. It addresses one central question: How can schools and districts help students make well-informed choices about college? In…

The purpose of this study was to examine ways foreign-born graduates of West African descent (WAD) at a midsize community college achieve college education and what lessons we learned about their motivation, success, and barriers to success. The researcher used qualitative research methodology for this study, which was designed to measure this…

In the first chapter titled "Cognitive Ability, Education, and Fertility Risk", I explore the role of cognitive ability in fertility timing. Women in the bottom quartile of the cognitive ability distribution are nine times more likely to have their first child as a teenager. First, I document the differences in age at childbirth by…

What are the experiences, expectations, and challenges of college-bound high school students and their families regarding college financing? To answer that question, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL), Ardeo Education, and PLEXUSS surveyed 1,250 high school students from the 11th and 12th grades about how they become interested in colleges and…

Americans think higher education can help people economically, particularly in their home states, according to this Public Agenda/USA TODAY Hidden Common Ground (HCG) research. But by a variety of measures, Americans question whether the benefits of college are worth the cost. This report summarizes findings from a nationally representative survey…

Recent efforts to increase college access and completion concentrate on reducing tuition rates at community colleges, but researchers and policy makers alike have expressed concern that such reductions may not lead to long-term gains in college completion. In this paper, I use detailed data on students' college enrollment and completion outcomes…

Women and underrepresented minorities can help fill the ever-growing demand for engineers in the United States. Quality teaching methods, an understanding of the cognitive aspects of learning, and faculty addressing biases help ensure student success in engineering majors. Accordingly, the community college engineering pathway can help fill the…

The 50-State Comparison on 529 Education Savings Plans provides a national comparison of state policies and activities related to state 529 education savings plans. It focuses on three main categories of state policies related to 529 plans: contributions, withdrawals, and eligible expenses. The information in this resource was gathered from state…

Do students respond to sticker prices or actual prices when applying to college? These costs differ for students eligible for financial aid. Students who do not understand this may not apply to some colleges because of the perceived high cost. We test for this form of "sticker shock" using College Board data on SAT scores sent, as a…

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…

Packed within the big bundle of worries that high school students and their parents bring to the college admission process, the bulkiest item is often how they will pay for it. And too often, experts say, it is not about lacking money, but lacking information. There is often a lot of confusion about college costs, and while it might simply…

Affordability is considered a key predictor of college enrollment and academic success, yet higher education costs continue to rise. Over the past three decades, textbooks and course materials alone have increased almost three times the rate of inflation (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). To identify the extent to which course material costs…

This study addresses the problem of low-income, first-generation college students who are academically successful, but choose to leave college before finishing due to financial constraints. This study investigates their lived experiences as well as the effects of a peer mentorship program where incoming, first-year, low-income, first-generation…

In the following Q&A, NEBHE's Fellow for Open Education Lindsey Gumb asks Thomas College Provost Thomas Edwards about the Waterville, Maine, college's plans to use a new grant from the Davis Education Foundation. The college's focus on melding access and affordability through OER (Open Educational Resources) is especially relevant in the…