Trends in Undergraduate Borrowing II: Federal Student Loans in 1995-96, 1999-2000, and 2003-04
A report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
examines trends in Stafford loan borrowing
among undergraduates by income level and dependency status. Since 1995-96, borrowing of subsidized Stafford loans increased among low-income dependent undergraduates and among independent students at all income levels. While the average amount of subsidized loans has leveled off over time, unsubsidized loans have continued to grow both in the amount of the average loan as well as in the percentage of borrowers. In 2003-04, about three-fourths (73 percent) of all dependent student borrowers took out the annual maximum amount allowed in subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans combined, up from 57 percent in 1995-96. (03/08)
From High School to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College
A report from the Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) examines the experiences of low-income, first-generation Chicago public high school students who aspire to attain a four-year college degree as they navigate the college search, application, choice, and enrollment processes. In addition, the authors analyze the effect of the high school environment and practices on student outcomes in these processes. By senior year, only 72 percent of those students who aspired to attain a four-year college degree planned to attend a four-year college in the fall, only 59 percent actually applied, 51 percent were accepted, and 41 percent enrolled. (3/08)
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)
Green Lights and Red Tape: Improving Access to Financial Aid at California’s Community Colleges
A report from The Institute for College Access and Success— based on visits to 21 California community colleges —examines how financial aid office operations affect student access to aid. The report presents examples of practices that can help students capitalize on their financial aid and those that might create obstacles that prevent students from receiving aid. (2/08)
Symposium: Equity and Access in Higher Education
In the Winter 2007 issue of the Harvard Educational Review, four authors explore institutional policies (including those related to admission and financial aid) that are designed to reduce barriers to college access and increase persistence for disadvantaged students. The journal issue is available for purchase.(2/08)
Trends in College Pricing 2007 and Trends in Student Aid 2007
Two of the College Board’s annual reports describe recent and long-term trends in both college pricing and student financial aid. Findings from this year’s reports show that increases in published prices for two-year and four-year public institutions in 2007-08 were slightly larger than in 2006 but lower than the average rates of growth over the past five years. In addition, total federal grant funding to undergraduates was lower in 2006-07 than it was three years earlier, after adjusting for inflation. (11/07)
Postsecondary Institutions in the United States: Fall 2006 and Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2005-06
This report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) provides data on postsecondary institutions, including tuition and fees and price of attendance for the 2006-07 academic year. Completions data (degrees, certificates, and other formal awards conferred) for the 2005-06 academic year also are presented. (10/07)
Back to School: 2007–2008
Facts for Features from the U.S. Census Bureau highlight many statistics related to the return to school by our nation’s students. The data presented cover a variety of topics including Pre–K through 12 and college enrollment, number of public elementary and secondary schools and degree-granting postsecondary institutions, availability and use of technology, college prices and financial aid, number of diplomas and college degrees awarded, and earnings by educational attainment. (7/07)
California Community Colleges: Making Them Stronger and More Affordable
The National Center for Public Policy in Higher Education's research finds 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)
State Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance Policies for Public Colleges and Universities, 2005-06
The State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) have outlined the philosophies, policies, and procedures that drive decisions about public college and university tuition, fees and student financial aid programs in a report. (2/07)
The Future of Private Loans: Who is Borrowing and Why?
In a publication the Institute for Higher Education Policy examines recent developments in the private loan industry, characteristics of private loan borrowers, and trends that might impact the growth of private loans in the future. It draws on recent financial aid data and in-depth information from finance professionals to offer a comprehensive look at private loans within the student lending industry. (12/06)
Recession, Retrenchment, and Recovery Volume II: State Profiles
The Recession, Retrenchment, and Recovery Project studies how recessions affect financial access for students attending public institutions. The second volume of this project examines states' enrollment trends, appropriations for higher education, allocations to need-based student financial aid, and changes in tuition and fees at public institutions. (12/06)
Mortgaging our Future: How Financial Barriers to College Undercut America’s Global Competitiveness
The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance examines the extent to which financial barriers prevent low-income students from earning a bachelor’s degree. In this report, they estimate that, during the current decade, between 1.4 and 2.4 million bachelor’s degrees will be lost among college-qualified high school graduates from low- and moderate-income families. (11/06)
Does Public Funding for Higher Education Matter?
A paper by Liang Zhang, faculty associate with the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute, examines the link between state funding for higher education, tuition rates, and graduation rates. The study finds that modest decreases in state funding are associated with rapid increases in tuition rates charges at four-year public institutions. (11/06)
Recession, Retrenchment, and Recovery: State Higher Education Funding & Student Financial Aid
A joint report from the Center for the Study of Education Policy, the National Association of State Student Grant Aid Programs, and the State Higher Education Executive Officers examines the effect of recessions on college access, particularly for low-income students. The study also identifies state-level strategies and policy tools to protect students during inevitable fiscal crises. (11/06)