MDRC is pleased to provide testimony on college access and completion to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. Access to college has increased substantially over the last 50 years, but student success--defined as the combination of academic success and degree or certificate completion--has not kept pace. Student success,…

House Democrats yesterday introduced major legislation to reauthorize the landmark Higher Education Act. Although reauthorization is long overdue, the new legislation, called the College Affordability Act, proposes mainly marginal improvements to a broken higher education financing system. Moreover, it doesn't do enough to help people who don't go…

This white paper considers the affordability of four-year public institutions for an average Pell Grant recipient who receives the average amount of grant aid, takes out the average amount of federal loans, and collects reasonable work wages to contribute to an education. An astounding 75 percent of residential four-year institutions--including 90…

Access to college has increased substantially over the last 50 years, but student success--defined as the combination of academic success and degree or certificate completion--has not kept pace. Student success, moreover, generally correlates with students' financial resources: Students from high-income families attend and complete college at…

A quality education is the primary instrument of social and economic mobility in the United States. As open-access institutions, community colleges are the gateway to postsecondary education for millions of Americans. Many of these students would be unable to afford college without federal resources, such as student financial aid and tax credits.…

This paper presents the Federal Student Aid Annual Report for 2010. Federal Student Aid experienced an extraordinary year in 2010. The passage and enactment of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 ushered in sweeping reforms to the federal student financial assistance programs, resulting in tens of billions of dollars in…

This book is designed as a guide to existing and proposed higher education tuition financing plans. The first chapter looks at recent patterns in higher education financing and participation noting the rapid increase in tuition and other college costs and the corresponding changes in participation patterns. Chapter 2 examines tuition prepayments,…

Pell Grants, based on need, have been the federal government's commitment and contribution to equal access to higher education. Topics addressed in these hearings include: the maximum award amount, the percentage of college costs to be covered by the award, the living allowance for students living off campus, the tax rates on discretionary income…

Information for postsecondary institution financial aid administrators on the major federal student financial aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 and its amendments is provided. Nine chapters cover the following: (1) introduction (office of student financial assistance organization, debt collection and…

Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is considered in this report of a hearing. Factors that affect students' financing of their college studies in Washington are addressed, including the tax structure, tuition, and the state's financial system. Recommendations for the legislation include: fund student financial aid at levels that…

The Task Force on Student Financial Aid was formed to recommend ways in which Massachusetts' student aid programs might be modified in light of nationwide trends of rising college costs, reduced availability of federal student assistance, and a decline in the ability of many families to pay for college. The first chapter of the task force report,…

This document identifies and describes the sources of public support for postsecondary vocational training in the United States, including the mix of public assistance that is currently available to economically disadvantaged individuals. Following an introduction, the second section is an overview of the general financing situation. Tables report…

The impact of student aid policies on women is assessed. Differences in the conditions affecting men's and women's need for aid are identified, along with actions that could improve women's participation in student aid programs. Gender issues in student aid policy include: loan burden, default, and bankruptcy; the award of merit scholarships;…

The United States is losing high-paying jobs to countries that produce a more reliable supply of college graduates in math and science. Texas faces its own economic slowdown if it is unable to graduate more students with bachelor's degrees. The state has been addressing many of the obstacles students face in earning a four-year degree. Outreach…