New analysis of federal data by the U.S. Department of Education highlights the critical role that community colleges play in providing a pathway to bachelor’s degree attainment, while also revealing significant variation across states and institutions.
Author: Laurie Arnston
Older and Parenting Students’ Access to Financial Aid and Benefit Programs: A Case Study of Four States
A recent report from New America examines the financial and social service support available to this growing student population, presenting findings from a mixed-methods study of older and parenting students’ access to financial aid and social service or safety net programs in four states: Colorado, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas.
A Close Look at Higher Education Enrollment in Fall 2023
The National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) continues to provide up-to-date enrollment trends to highlight disparities in pandemic recovery across differing student and institutional characteristics. The NSC’s latest report encapsulates comprehensive data concerning 9.6 million students, both undergraduate and graduate, reported by approximately 1,500 academic institutions.
How State Financial Aid Programs Propel Low-Income and First-Generation Students
Recent research by the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) shows that nearly 75 percent of all students attend college in their home states, which is usually a requirement to receive state-based financial aid. However, due to the current patchwork of 50 different state aid systems, wide variation exists in both the assistance offered and its effectiveness in increasing college persistence and completion.
NCLS Releases Eleventh Annual High School Benchmarks Report Tracking Trends in College Progress
Empowering Immigrant Talent Through Community Colleges
Gender Disparities in Academic Majors and Graduates’ Incomes Persist
In a new study from Bankrate, Alex Gailey explores the earnings differences across academic majors, highlighting the stark gender disparities in men and women’s academic major selections and subsequent incomes.
Partisan Divide on the Value, Funding, and Equity of Higher Education Widens
New America annually conducts its Varying Degrees survey to assess public opinion and regard for different aspects of higher education. The 2023 survey addressed five different issues: value, funding, accountability, equity and diversity, and online learning.
Unleashing the Power of Financial Aid to Equalize Postsecondary Education
The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) has released a new report based on data from over 2,400 institutions examining how changes in funding affect institutions where students receive a minimum economic return.
Some College, No Credential Population Continues to Grow
In its annual report, the National Student Clearinghouse provides context in creating better outcomes for the “some college, no credential” (SCNC) population, specifically on reenrollment, persistence, and credit/degree completion. The report found that this population now consists of 40.4 million people, a 3.6 percent increase from last year, likely induced by pandemic-era challenges in higher education.
How Campuses Can Help Prepare Borrowers for the Resumption of Student Loan Repayments
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators recently released a report providing guidance to college and university leaders on how to support borrowers waiting for their student loan repayments to resume or those beginning repayment.
Using SNAP Benefits to Reduce Student Food Insecurity and Improve College Completion
Today’s students must often navigate higher education and its associated costs while facing increased basic needs insecurity and limited need-based financial aid to close the gap. In a new brief, The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS) suggests policy recommendations and changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to better meet students’ basic needs and position them to both enroll in and complete college degree programs.