An unusual organization of policy leaders has joined the chorus for higher education reform. Chief state budget officers rarely speak collectively or publicly about higher education—instead focusing on state revenue issues, adjusting budgets in light of revenue surpluses (a rare event of late) or shortfalls, and enacting a budget.

But in a recent report, these state officials spoke out oContinue Reading »

As researchers and state governments rush to link workforce and postsecondary data on academic programs to the salaries of college graduates, let’s pause and ask what we really need to know.  Measuring entry-level salaries or salaries five or six years after graduates are in the workforce provides limited information about the quality of higher education (and anyway, the databases for this undeContinue Reading »

College affordability is a problem that can be solved. Recent reports show many ideas to improve or solve college affordability. The most promising ideas promote strategic use of federal aid focused on financial need and partnerships with states to expand state, need-based financial aid programs and increase state investment in higher education. Sensible ideas about income-contingent loan repayContinue Reading »

Evidence shows that the value of postsecondary degrees remains strong, but it is just unaffordable for many students and their families. Given that evidence, what could be done to encourage more students to enroll in and succeed in higher education? Certainly better preparation in high school is important. Equally important is making higher education affordable. In response to economic pressureContinue Reading »

The United States loses too many students between high school and college. Even students who have successfully completed the college preparatory curriculum still find themselves taking remedial classes for math or English Language Arts upon entering college. About half of those entering community colleges and 20 percent entering four-year universities are channeled into remedial courses becauseContinue Reading »

It has been a long time since there was a clarion call for higher education. The GI Bill was likely the last national call of symbolism and significance. The country, drawn out of a depression from the war, was reluctant once again to risk high unemployment as hundreds of thousands of GIs returned home. A bold and untested idea was put into action, making it possible for the returning soldiers Continue Reading »

An annual fall ritual in higher education is the release of two reports by the College Board: one about trends in college pricing, the other about trends in student aid.  If you are interested in the question “How much does college cost for students and families?” these reports will bombard you with numbers, definitions, estimates, and endless qualifiers. The most important message Continue Reading »

It seems like tuition “freeze” proposals are gaining popularity again. We’ve been down this road before. Several states froze tuition in the early 1990s (Virginia, California, Washington, etc.) and they failed, in the long run, to make higher education affordable. These gimmicks fail to increase state investment in higher education and they don’t prevent larger-than-average tuition increases afContinue Reading »

Community college enrollments dropped in the fall 2011 for the first time since 2007. It’s a decline worth noting since American community colleges are the most important educational safety net for low-income and first-generation college students preparing for or retooling themselves for the knowledge economy. And yet, the media and policymakers paid little attention to the data, released late Continue Reading »