State need-based financial aid programs are a key driver of college access and completion for lower-income students and racially marginalized students in California, most of whom attend public two- and four-year colleges and universities and come from families with annual incomes of less than $40,000. As the state's largest need-based financial…

Making college education more affordable is a central goal of the Obama Administration and has been a focus of Vice-President Biden's Taskforce on the Middle Class. To that end, the Task Force asked U.S. Treasury Department to prepare this report on how to make Section 529 college savings plans a more effective and reliable tool for families to…

A universal work force preparation strategy should recognize connections between (1) welfare recipients and working poor people; (2) middle-class workers and the skilled worker shortage; and (3) top, middle, and entry-level labor force. The strategy must address both the entry of welfare recipients into the labor force and the serious shortage of…

State low-interest college loans programs for middle-class families have emerged in response to restrictions on federally subsidized Stafford Loans. The key difference between federal and state programs is that most state programs require student borrowers and cosigners to prove good credit risks, reducing loan default and making the programs…

PROJECT HEAD START (HS), FEDERALLY-SUPPORTED AND OPERATING UNDER FEDERAL REGULATIONS WHICH PERMITTED NO MORE THAN 10 PERCENT OF ENROLLED CHILDREN TO BE FROM FAMILIES WITH INCOMES ABOVE THE PRESCRIBED POVERTY LEVEL, WAS CONDUCTED DURING THE SUMMER OF 1966 IN ALL 55 WEST VIRGINIA COUNTIES. IN 7 OF THESE COUNTIES, SUPPLEMENTARY STATE FUNDS WERE…

In the mid-1960's, the American Jewish Committee published a report on suburban schools' failure (or inability) to teach children about "human differences." Since then, there have been significant changes and solid progress in some school systems: new textbooks and supplementary materials have been published; new courses have been added…

Over the last century, Americans have formed a social contract with higher education through the development of and changes to student financial aid programs. These federal, state, and institutional programs are the manifestation of the value we place on who should and who does pay the costs of higher education. Grants versus loans and low-income…