Pursuing a college degree--and the open future for young adults it is believed to secure--anchors what it means to be middle class in the United States today. Acting on the conviction that the rising generation can and should do better than their parents is a middle-class inheritance, and getting young adults to and through college is at the heart…

This essay, shortlisted for the AHUA Dr Jonathan Nicholls Memorial Essay Prize, addresses recent policy attention on student maintenance funding in the United Kingdom. It proposes the establishment of a graduate-funded endowment in lieu of other measures such as increased parental contributions or the imposition of a graduate tax. After discussing…

A result of the last recession was the closure or merging of many higher education institutions (HEIs) throughout the New England region. In October 2019, the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) in convened a group of economists and higher education leaders at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston to talk about "The Future of Higher…

There is a growing national conversation about the role of Children's Savings Accounts (CSAs) in building assets and creating opportunities for the next generation of students, and New England is right in the middle of it. In many respects, New England is leading the way. CSAs are long-term asset-building accounts established for children, as…

Launching and sustaining a laptop initiative is an expensive proposition. For that reason, districts often begin with modest pilots or roll out programs incrementally, a grade or two at a time. These days, few, if any, public school districts have budgets to finance full-service 1-to-1 programs. Instead, some seek outside assistance. Private…

Growing numbers of colleges and universities, as well as independent schools, are targeting parents, grandparents, and other nonalumni friends for gifts to meet institutional needs and, at many public institutions, replace appropriations lost to Draconian state cuts. Such efforts have taken root despite parents shouldering ever-climbing college…

For several months, the subprime-mortgage crisis has hovered over colleges, its ultimate effects uncertain. That is changing. In the past few weeks, a series of loan companies have withdrawn from broad categories of student lending, and some colleges have acknowledged sharp increases in borrowing costs. The most severe effect may be still to come,…

Five years ago, the National Institute of Certified College Planners, an organization that licenses college-planning professionals, did not exist. This year the organization has 1,200 registered members. Professionals in college financial planning say business is booming, and the bulk of demand for their services is coming from families with…

A review of the current status of state prepaid tuition plans and savings trust plans suggests that there is an accelerating trend toward participation in such programs. Also notes competition among programs and some problems (such as a negative audit in Colorado). (DB)

Describes the impact of the Colorado's Child Support Improvement Project on voluntary paternity acknowledgment rate, which increased almost 24% from 1991 to 1994. Program activities include simplifying voluntary acknowledgment procedures and training hospital personnel on paternity. Voluntary paternity acknowledgment is associated with the…

Duquesne University's pay-now, learn-later plan is one device that could transform college-fee payment almost as much as the GI Bill did. The further away from college age the child, the more the school earns and the deeper the discount. Some other options are discussed including installment plans and special sales on tuition. (MLW)

Provided are suggestions for parents to take to pay for their children's college education. Making systematic payments to a college fund, setting up a Clifford Trust, zero-coupons, and other areas (such as part-time student employment) are considered. Also suggests considering the cost factor of public over private institutions. (JN)

Few areas of education have expanded as rapidly as preschool education in Europe during the 1970s. Questions have arisen, however, about whether such education should be publicly or privately funded. Britain and the Netherlands provide examples of the importance of involving parents in preschool education. (PB)

Discussion of prepaid college tuition plans looks at their strengths and weaknesses and provides an analysis to illustrate their use as an alternative in funding a child's future education. It is noted that, although some financial planners argue against them, they can offer significant savings by locking in tuition rates. (MSE)

Families need assistance in planning for the costs of higher education. Some suggestions are offered, including question the premise that parents will finance one year's education out of one year's income; create a national college savings plan, etc. (MLW)