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,…

Community colleges are mission-driven institutions committed to access and community needs. They serve a diverse population: The majority of students are employed, so they have to balance work with school; about one-third are first-generation, so they are navigating an unfamiliar system for the first time in their families; and 15% are single…

College is one of the most reliable routes to economic security for parents and their children. College credentials are linked to increased earnings, higher rates of employment, lower poverty rates, and improved economic and educational outcomes among the children of college graduates. Student parents and their families stand to gain…

Public perceptions of college students and their needs have not evolved. Likewise, embedded in the minds of policymakers is a traditional picture of higher education's mission as largely focused on teaching and learning. To some extent, this is true for college staff, as well. As a result, shifting the paradigms around social, economic, and…

This report explores the demographics of community college students and how they compare to those in other sectors of higher education. Next, it reviews the common reasons undergraduate students stop their studies or drop out. The report then examines technology-enhanced education in community colleges and presents several case studies showing how…

As more college students are relying on part- or full-time work to help pay for their education, federally financed work-study jobs are becoming harder to find. The percentage of freshmen who planned to hold full-time jobs while in college jumped to 4.7 percent this year, from 2.7 percent in 2000. But as more students are seeking jobs, federal…

Washington State's Higher Education Coordinating Board undertook a review of the State Work Study (SWS) program requirements related to the classification and compensation of SWS positions at public colleges and universities. A task force studying wage rate comparability was convened to review statutory directives related to this issue and to…

The impact of working on academic performance and persistence of a sample of full-time undergraduates enrolled in Washington State's public and private institutions during fall 1983 through spring 1985 was studied. Data sources included: student records for the State Work Study, College Work Study, and nonworking financial aid recipients; and…

A study of unmet student financial need in Washington State was conducted by the Washington Council for Postsecondary Education. "Unmet need" is the difference between need and the total amount of aid received by the student through federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs, privately funded scholarships, and nonsubsidized…

This report presents findings of a study of the off-campus employment status of undergraduate college students attending all of the public and most of the private institutions of higher education in Washington State during the winters of 1997 and 1998. Specifically the study examined: (1) characteristics of working students; (2) work patterns…

This interim report summarizes the progress and future directions of the Gender Equity Plans submitted by Washington State's public four-year universities and colleges, and its community college system. The report represents a monitoring of institutional and system efforts to address issues of gender equity affecting students in the areas…

This report summarizes the gender equity self-studies and plans for all six of the public, four-year universities and colleges in the State of Washington, as well as from the 27-member community college system. The evaluation encompassed 10 major areas: (1) the adoption of a nondiscrimination statement; (2) compliance procedures; (3) academic…

Student costs and financing of college were studied in Washington State using the College Scholarship Service's Student Expense and Resource Survey (SEARS). The study population consisted of: (1) full-time undergraduate students and full-time graduate students in master's or traditional doctoral level programs at state institutions; (2) full-time…

Thirteen chapters address issues concerning college student employment including the impact of student employment, research on student employment, and making student employment more productive. Chapters include: (1) "Encouraging Student Development Through Student Employment" (Arthur W. Chickering and others); (2) "Career…