How are teacher pension benefits funded? Under traditional plans, the full cost of career teachers' benefits far exceeds the contributions designated for them. The gap between the two has three pieces, which may (with some license) be mnemonically tagged the three R's of pension funding: "redistribution," "return," and…

The coronavirus pandemic is acutely affecting the delivery of K-12 education. As of March 19, 2020, 44 states had closed 104,000 schools, affecting nearly 48 million students, turning millions of families into accidental homeschoolers. This homeschooling trial by fire for families across the United States has hastened the need for district, state,…

Early awareness strategies, from outreach campaigns to cohort-based learning groups to scholarships, are a group of efforts that help middle school students stay on the path to college and understand how to fund their education. These strategies become part of early awareness programs, which seek to put students on a college-going path by…

According to the Jump$tart Coalition, Oklahoma is one of 24 states to adopt financial education requirements for students (Jump$tart Coalition, 2010). The Passport to Financial Literacy Act of 2007, Oklahoma House Bill 1476, requires Oklahoma students in grades 7 through 12 to fulfill established financial literacy requirements to graduate with a…

Tuition futures programs and alternative plans are considered that might be enacted in New York State. Tuition futures is a college finance technique that involves a guarantee of stable tuition rates in return for payment years in advance. After describing tuition increases nationwide and in New York State, information is provided on prepayment or…

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)

Interviews with state legislators from Wisconsin (D. Bezruki), Massachusetts (T. P. Kennedy), and Virginia (P. Leone) illustrate the roles that evaluation is playing in the current state budget crisis. The influence of evaluation data appears largely specific to individual programs rather than systematically applied to the budgeting process. (SLD)

The New York State Technology Network Ties (TNT) systems is a statewide telecommunications network which consists of computers, telephone lines, and telecommunications hardware and software. This network links school districts, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), libraries, other educational institutions, and the State Education…

Potential uses of a central registry/clearinghouse approach in the Child Support Enforcement Program (CSEP) are described in this publication. The CSEP was established in 1975 under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act in an effort to reduce federal monies spent supporting dependent children not receiving financial assistance from absent parents.…

The Massachusetts college tuition prepayment program has been praised by many as helping families pay for college, but a few elite institutions have not joined, saying the program does not fit their financial aid policies and philosophies. Supporters feel the program could be even stronger if they joined. The plan differs from most state plans by…

Cutbacks and changes in federal commitment to student financial aid programs are outlined, and examples of alternatives to traditional sources for aid funds are discussed. Examples include institutional investment policies, state programs, community-based funding, a national tax-exempt funding vehicle, and educational savings plans. (MSE)

A Massachusetts plan involving 67 colleges allows parents to invest in state bonds and redeem them later, at original value plus 2% above inflation rate, for a guaranteed percentage of tuition. Plan improves on strategies tested by other states. Supporters foresee more college applicants and less need for student aid. (MSE)

This report summarizes the programs in the 15 states of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) designed to help parents provide for future college costs. It differentiates between college savings plans, bond programs, and prepaid tuition plans. Differences in the programs of the various states are discussed, such as who can buy a prepaid…

Cooperative activities involving the States and the U.S. Office of Education have been a tradition since the establishment of the Office. In recent years the scope, extent, and magnitude of such programs have increased substantially. These programs provide grants for vocational education; rural library services; the improvement of science,…

To inform faculty and staff about the new state retirement plan and help them compare its benefits with those of the only existing employer-sponsored retirement plan for educators, a defined-benefit plan, Georgia Institute of Technology used an electronic spreadsheet and a series of seminars for analyzing and illustrating investment options. (MSE)