This study considers the relationship between federal academic earmarks and three types of state spending for higher education--general appropriations, capital outlays, and student financial aid. Often referred to as "pork," federal academic earmarks are both controversial and understudied. Using a unique panel dataset from 1990-2003,…

After the abolition of student maintenance grants in 2016, higher education bursaries will be the major source of non-repayable aid for poor students in England, with £300 m spent per year. The aims of the bursary system were never explicitly laid out by government, making it challenging to evaluate this unique form of aid. In this paper, I…

Americans now obtain college degrees at a higher rate than at any time in recent decades in the hopes of improving their career prospects. At the same time, the rising costs of an undergraduate education have increased dramatically, forcing students and families to take out often unmanageable levels of student debt. The cumulative amount of…

In the city of Milwaukee, the vast majority of students do not achieve both high school and college graduation which has been termed as a "completion crisis." This is negatively impacting not only those students but also the region's workforce challenges. Indeed, the area economy could suffer greatly unless metro Milwaukee leaders can…

The Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (subsequently renamed the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, also known as TOPS) was created by Act 1375 of the 1997 Regular Legislative Session. The first college freshman class to receive TOPS awards entered postsecondary education in the fall of 1998. Act 1202 of the 2001 Regular Legislative…

In most states and in the nation as a whole, the combination of constrained resources and rapid enrollment growth during the Great Recession left a legacy of significantly diminished per-student funding for higher education. Adequate funding is a necessary component of supporting college access and success and meeting state goals for educational…

Three need-based student financial aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA)--Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program, the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, and the Federal Perkins Loan program--are collectively referred to as the "campus-based" programs. These programs…

This article profiles public-private partnerships and networks established by the public, residential, STEM-focused Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky. Authors discuss relationships and partnerships cultivated to extend student learning opportunities beyond what public support provides. The article focuses first on…

"Excelencia" in Education conducted an environmental scan of Puerto Rico to better understand the community and context of higher education, as colleges and universities transform to better serve their Latino students. This environmental scan identifies and includes a profile of the community overall, the socio-economic profile and…

The COVID-19 health crisis has laid bare the structural inequity in the financial aid system. The pandemic has hit the lowest-income students hardest, with many struggling to afford the basic technology for online learning on top of new or exacerbated food and housing insecurity. Federal and state dollars predicated on Pell Grant eligibility, time…

This report compiles the research on racial disparities both in the use of student debt and in higher education outcomes, specifically focusing on disparities between white students and Black students. In order to do so, the authors bring together two streams of research that are often siloed: research from experts on higher education access and…

Postsecondary student demographics are dramatically shifting in the state of Texas, resulting in an increased need for state government resources to ensure college access affordability in the state. It is critical that lawmakers prioritize higher education to allow Texans from all backgrounds access to afford higher education. This editorial is an…

For many low-income students and students of color, financial and other barriers can derail their efforts to complete a postsecondary credential. In 2014, the Working Students Success Network (WSSN) was launched by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Lumina Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Kresge Foundation, MetLife Foundation, and Bank of America.…

Public universities have pursued nonresident enrollment growth as a solution to the stagnation of state funding. Representatives of public universities often argue that nonresident tuition revenue is an important resource in efforts to finance access for resident students, whereas state policymakers are concerned that nonresident enrollment…

Pursuing new, commonsense approaches to education reform and work-family policies, from childcare and early education through higher education and workforce flexibility, will foster the conditions for family flourishing and increase birth rates for married couples. Affordable childcare from a variety of providers, including at-home options, access…