In December 2023, TICAS published new research on the College Affordability Gap--the gap between students' total cost of attendance and non-loan aid available to them--in California, Michigan, and New York, with a focus on students eligible for Pell Grants. Our new report builds on this research with data from nine additional states (Colorado,…

This article summarizes the Governor Budget proposals in the New England region. Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut proposed restructuring, refinancing the systems' payments and slowing the rate of increase in the teachers' pension fund and the state employee pension fund, both of which are underfunded. Lamont also announced that for the first…

Change swept throughout the country with the 2018 elections, bringing 20 new governors into office. Whether returning or starting their first term, governors are taking the opportunity in their State of the State addresses to highlight achievements and outline plans for the future. Every governor who has given an address has mentioned an…

Community college students face a number of financial decisions and obligations along the path to degree completion. Students must secure resources to pay for college expenses, including their tuition, fees, and basic living necessities. Central to this is students' abilities to access financial aid resources including federal, state, and…

The Pathways to Advancement initiative was launched by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) to help governors and their policy advisors examine options and develop strategies for expanding working adults' access to and completion of postsecondary education. In September 2003, the NGA Center issued a request for…

In the first decade of the 21st century, the nation, the states, and colleges and universities began to grapple with the challenges of globalization, changing demography, the implications of the digital era, and of a less expansive public sector. Although not a transformative period for higher education, the decade saw significant innovations in…

Historical information is provided on required student fees at Massachusetts public universities and colleges from fall 1982 to the present. Information on current fees subject to the 30% guideline is also included. Two sections of the report deal respectively with: (1) total required fees (recent trends in fees and comparison with state…

This paper consists of results of a state survey and case studies of Minnesota and Massachusetts, two states with recent histories in implementing tuition formulas. Both case studies are discussed within the context of state fiscal conditions and appropriations. The survey revealed that 16 states are attempting to establish an enduring rationale…

This book is designed as a guide to existing and proposed higher education tuition financing plans. The first chapter looks at recent patterns in higher education financing and participation noting the rapid increase in tuition and other college costs and the corresponding changes in participation patterns. Chapter 2 examines tuition prepayments,…

Selected information is displayed in the form of charts, tables, and graphs about: (1) the State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG) program and other state-level student financial assistance programs; (2) the primary state agency or organization responsible for administering these programs; and (3) the general state characteristics relating to student…

Two position papers for the Alden Seminar on Higher Education and an overview of the January 1982 Alden Seminar meeting are presented. The Alden Seminars, which are attended by officers of business and industry and colleges and universities in Massachusetts, provide a forum for the discussion of the current situation in higher education, with…

Findings from the General Scholarship Program in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for fiscal year 1988 are presented. The data suggest that the financial aid program is promoting its goals for Massachusetts students to provide greater access for the neediest of students by ensuring that those with the most financial need receive the largest…

The Task Force on Student Financial Aid was formed to recommend ways in which Massachusetts' student aid programs might be modified in light of nationwide trends of rising college costs, reduced availability of federal student assistance, and a decline in the ability of many families to pay for college. The first chapter of the task force report,…

Higher education in Massachusetts is considered in relation to governance and student financial aid. Growth since 1960, enrollment projections, and changing financial realities are considered. Attention is directed to reorganization of public higher education, including the struggle to strike a reasonable balance between institutional needs for…

As entitlements for students, "Average Daily Attendance" funding (ADA), Title I and Pell Grants can provide a stable funding base to support college bridge programs targeted to at-risk students and dropouts. In most states, school districts can re-enroll out-of-school students and draw additional ADA money from the state. College bridge…