ERIC Number: EJ1439336
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 9
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-1383
EISSN: EISSN-1939-9146
A Promise to Work? An Exploration of State Free College Policies with Program Eligibility Requirements
Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, v56 n5 p56-64 2024
In response to rising college tuition and student debt over the past three decades, some institutions, localities, and states have implemented a range of tuition-free promise programs to promote college access and success. Programs vary widely in their design features, including eligibility stipulations and award structure. I explore the growing but understudied trend of tying eligibility for a free college program to enrollment in vocationally oriented fields. Using web-scraped data on nine statewide promise programs with program-based eligibility requirements, I describe which programs are and are not eligible and discuss policy considerations for tying program eligibility to academic programs geared toward the workforce. These findings hold important implications for students in their enrollment decisions and labor market trajectories and for public perceptions of the purpose of higher education.
Descriptors: Paying for College, Educational Policy, Eligibility, State Programs, Program Evaluation, Certification, Community College Students, Labor Market, Student Financial Aid, Scholarships, Associate Degrees, Bachelors Degrees, Intellectual Disciplines, Tuition, College Students
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Arkansas; Indiana; Kansas; Kentucky; Minnesota; Missouri; South Carolina; Virginia; West Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Data File: URL: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2102/10.7910/DVN/NKAFGE