College Access and Diversity Research

NACAC's Access Resources

Tuition Continues to Rise, but Patterns Vary by Institution Type, Enrollment, and Educational Expenditures
A report from the U.S. General Accountability Office examines how much tuition rates have increased over the past decade and to what extent tuition increases have been associated with increased spending on education. The report also analyzes changes in enrollment rates and patterns by race and how they are related to tuition increases. The authors conclude that as college prices have grown, minority students have become increasingly concentrated in the two-year sector. (2/08)

School Strategies and the “College-Linking” Process: Reconsidering the Effects of High Schools on College Enrollment
A study by Lori Diane Hill at the University of Michigan (published in the Sociology of Education) evaluates the effectiveness of various counseling philosophies on college-going rates. The analysis identifies three distinct strategies: traditional, clearinghouse and brokering. Results showed that the brokering strategy positively affected 4-year college attendance rates across racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups (but had no effect on 2-year attendance). (2/08)

Deciding on Postsecondary Education: Final Report
This report from the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative examines the information that potential students use and need in making decisions about postsecondary education. Special emphasis was given to underserved students (non-traditional aged, minority, and students of low- and moderate- socioeconomic status) participating in the college search and decision making process. Qualitative data were gathered and analyzed from 11 focus groups with 90 participants in eight states. Secondary data were collected via a review of over 80 sources in the research literature.
The literature review indicated that parents, guidance counselors, mainstream media, college brochures, and institutions are primary sources for information about college. For each group of focus group participants, cost, major/program of study, and convenience/location were major determinants in the college search, application, and matriculation processes. Online web-based resources are quickly gaining prominence among current and recent high school graduates who participated in the focus groups. Findings from this research suggest the need for comprehensible information, additional resources, and improved assistance for prospective college students and their families. (1/08)

Minding the Gap: Why Integrating High School with College Makes Sense and How to Do It
A new book from Jobs for the Future explores policies and practices that the authors argue would quickly enable a larger number of low-income and first-generation college students to earn postsecondary degrees. Edited by Nancy Hoffman, Joel Vargas, Marc S. Miller, and Andrea Venezia, Minding the Gap calls for a system that thoroughly integrates secondary and postsecondary education—a system in which a college degree is the goal for all students. (11/07)

Minorities in Higher Education Twenty-Second Annual Status Report: 2007 Supplement
The American Council on Education’s (ACE) annual report on minorities in higher education finds gains for all racial and ethnic groups, but also shows that gaps in college-going rates between whites and students of color persist. Between 1993-95 and 2003-05, the college participation rate for whites increased from 43 percent to 48 percent, while the college participation rate for African Americans increased from 35 percent to 41 percent. The college participation rate for Hispanic students saw little improvement during the same period, growing from 35 percent to 37 percent. (10/07)

Perceptions and Expectations of Youth With Disabilities
A report from the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) provides a picture of the self-representations and expectations of youth with disabilities, how they differ across disability categories and demographic groups, and how they compare with youth in the general population. The report addresses questions such as how youth with disabilities describe their feelings about themselves and their lives, their secondary school experiences, their personal relationships, and their expectations for the future.  (10/07)

In-state Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants
A StateNote brief from Education Commission of the States examines state policies related to in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants. (9/07)

Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Minorities
A National Center for Education Statistics report examines the educational progress and challenges that racial and ethnic minorities face in the United States. This report shows that over time larger numbers of minorities have completed high school and continued their education in college. Despite these gains, progress has varied, and differences persist among racial/ethnic groups on key indicators of educational performance. The report is divided into the following sections: demographics; preprimary, elementary, and secondary education; achievement; persistence; student behaviors; postsecondary participation; and outcomes of education. (9/07)

Choosing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): A Closer Look at Latino Students’ College Choices
Excelencia in Education has released the second brief in a three-part series on Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). This brief examines the college choices of Latino students using national data and focus groups. Findings show that Latino students are largely concentrated at a minority of colleges because of issues of cost, location and accessibility. (8/07)

Status of Education in Rural America
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) presents a series of indicators on the status of education in rural America as compared to that in urban and suburban areas, including expenditures per student, NAEP scores, drop out rates, and teacher salaries and satisfaction. The report uses the new NCES locale classification system, which classifies the locale of schools and school districts into one of 12 categories based on their actual geographic coordinates. The system distinguishes between rural areas that are on the fringe of an urban area, rural areas that are at some distance and rural areas that are remote. On most indicators, rural schools score better than urban schools but worse than suburban schools. (8/07)

The Promise of Dual Enrollment: Assessing Ohio’s Early College Access Policy
KnowledgeWorks Foundation presents results of an evaluation of Ohio’s Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) policy, a program that funds dual enrollment courses for high school students. The study found that students who participated in PSEO courses were more likely to complete degrees and got their degrees more quickly, but data limitations made it difficult to determine whether the program actually increases college access for underrepresented groups. (8/07)

Information Sharing Could Help Institutions Identify and Address Challenges Some Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Students Face
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that Asian American and Pacific Islander subgroups differ in their levels of academic preparedness; ability to pay for college; and need to balance academic, employment and family obligations. The report recommends that the U.S. Department of Education facilitate information sharing among postsecondary institutions that serve low-income Asian American and Pacific Islander students about strategies for outreach, recruitment, retention, and graduation. (8/07)

Opening the Door to the American Dream: Increasing Higher Education Access and Success for Immigrants
A report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy discusses the systemic barriers that prevent immigrants from entering college and/or completing a bachelor's-level education. It also anticipates that failure to address these deficiencies will significantly threaten the nation's ability to remain globally competitive in less than 10 years. (7/07)

Part-Time Undergraduates in Postsecondary Education: 2003–04
The National Center for Education Statistics profiles part-time undergraduates enrolled in U.S. postsecondary institutions in 2003–04. Just over half (51 percent) of undergraduates were enrolled either exclusively part time or had mixed enrollment intensity in a report. Part-time undergraduates, especially exclusively part-time students, were at a distinct disadvantage relative to those who were enrolled full time: they came from minority and low-income family backgrounds; they were not as well-prepared for college as their full-time peers; they were highly concentrated in two-year colleges and non-degree/certificate programs; and many of them worked full time while enrolled and were not enrolled continuously. The study also found that, regardless of whether they resembled full-time students, part-time students (especially exclusively part-time students) lagged behind their full-time peers in terms of their postsecondary outcomes even after controlling for a variety of related factors. (7/07)

Demography Is Not Destiny: Increasing the Graduation Rates of Low-Income College Students at Large Public Universities
In a report the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education concludes that public universities can attract large numbers of low-income students without seeing graduation rates fall. The study found that institutions that use certain strategies—including reducing class size, creating a sense of community on campus and emphasizing the teaching role of faculty members—do not see any drop in graduation rates. (7/07)

First in My Family: A Profile of First Generation College Students at Four-Year Institutions Since 1971
The Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, in partnership with the Foundation for Independent Higher Education, has released a report on trends for first-generation college students from 1971 to 2005. The report covers a range of topics including the changing demographics of first-generation students, parental encouragement, work and financial considerations, college choice, academic preparation, and degree objectives. The executive summary of the report can be viewed online, and the report is available to order. (7/07)

Boosters, Brokers and Bridges: Real World Ideas for Colleges Access Programs
The Lumina Foundation for Education has a resource that is a collection of ideas designed to aid improvement and expansion of college access programs. The report provides strategic lessons and innovative ideas in three areas—program operations, service strategies and service-delivery models. The report also offers suggestions for monitoring and evaluation. (7/07)

Lumina Foundation Focus, Winter 2007
The Winter 2007 edition of the Lumina Foundation for Education’s Focus magazine highlights four innovative programs to increase access and success in higher education. (7/07)

Hitting Home: Quality, Cost, and Access Challenges Confronting Higher Education Today

A report from the Lumina Foundation for Education’s Making Opportunity Affordable project addresses the need for a high-skilled workforce. It recommends focusing resources on core academic priorities, streamlining student transitions to reduce rework and attrition, promoting timely degree completion to create increased capacity for new enrollment, and redesigning academic programs to improve student results while reducing cost. (7/07)

National Center on Educational Outcomes’ Data Viewer
The National Center on Educational Outcomes' Data Viewer allows users to view information related to students with disabilities and create individualized reports on specified criteria. Two major databases are currently available—State Policies on Assessment Participation and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities, and Annual Performance Reports. (6/07)

Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today
The Public Agenda and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education presents the results of a survey examining the public's views on college quality, affordability and access. The survey found that a record level of Americans (50 percent) think that a college education is necessary for success in the workplace, but 62 percent agree that many qualified and motivated students do not have the opportunity for a college education. In addition, nearly two-thirds of parents of high school students do not believe that rapidly escalating costs are leading to more learning on campus. (6/07)

Hitting Home: Quality, Cost, and Access Challenges Confronting Higher Education Today
The Making College Affordable project says that the U.S. will fall behind its foreign competitors by nearly 16 million college educated people by 2025. To close the degree gap, the report estimates that the nation’s colleges and universities will need to increase the number of people earning college degrees each year by more than 37 percent.  In addition, many of these degrees will have to be earned by minority, adult, and low-income students. (3/07)

California Community Colleges: Making Them Stronger and More Affordable
A report from the National Center for Public Policy in Higher Education finds that California’s community college students struggle with finances and calls for modest fee increases and more financial aid. (3/07)

Emergency Financial Aid for Community College Students: Implementation and Early Lessons from the Dreamkeepers and Angel Fund Programs
This report from MDRC describes early evaluation findings on the design and implementation of the Dreamkeepers Emergency Financial Aid Program and the Angel Fund Program, two pilot programs for community college students who are at risk of dropping out because of unexpected financial crises. Eleven community colleges and 26 tribal colleges and universities are participating in the two programs, which have disbursed grants or loans to more than 900 students. (2/07)

Rules of the Game 
The Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy examines the way that community college access policies in California may inadvertently impede student success. The report offers general recommendations for how changes to state policy in these areas can reduce barriers to completion. (2/07)