Purpose: This paper investigates the key determinants affecting household spending for university degree in Vietnam. This paper serves as empirical evidence for policymakers to select appropriate factors to estimate financial needs for university students in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach: We employ an innovative variable selection approach…

Despite substantial investments in financial aid programs, the available aid often falls short of covering the total cost of attendance (Hanson, 2023). Today, college expenses represent 30% of the annual median family income, pushing many students to rely on loans to finance their education (US Census Bureau, 2023). Among student loan borrowers,…

Award displacement occurs when one type of financial aid award directly contributes to the change in the quantity of another award. We explore whether postsecondary institutions displaced awards in response to the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship by capitalizing on the doubling of the maximum Promise amount in 2012. We use de-identified…

Over the past two decades, the practice of tuition discounting has become commonplace, and the discount percentage has steadily increased since 2008. This study replicates the work executed by Juliana Browning in 2013. This study focuses on the sustainability and viability of Title IV participating, private, four-year, not for profit, degree…

The impact of rising student debt, the cost of attending college and the value of the degree or certificate received at completion continues to be a critical focus for higher education leaders. Research has consistently demonstrated that financial related difficulties can create barriers for student college completion. To help understand this…

Public flagship universities are often the most selective, rigorous, and well-resourced public schools in each state, and their important status and name recognition play an important role in raising the college-going aspirations of state residents. Flagships are well-positioned to promote social and economic mobility. However, increasingly high…

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329, as amended) authorizes programs and activities to provide support to individuals who are pursuing a postsecondary education and to institutions of higher education (IHEs). During the 116th Congress, the House Committee on Education and Labor marked up and ordered to be reported the College…

As the coronavirus pandemic ravaged communities, cities, and countries in 2020, colleges and universities faced a unique emergency. Millions of students were struggling to meet their basic needs, and institutional emergency aid funds were rapidly running out. For the first time in history, Congress responded by authorizing billions of dollars in…

According to the Department of Education (Federal Student Aid Handbook, 2016), the cost of attendance is an estimate of a student's educational expenses for the period of enrollment. Cost of attendance is not only as important to consider as tuition and fees (which are only one component of cost of attendance), but it serves as the cornerstone of…

"Aiding Success: The Role of Federal and State Financial Aid in Supporting California Community College Students" documents the variation in student graduation and transfer rates by students' financial situation. The authors of "Aiding Success" analyzed detailed financial aid and student success data from the California…

This report shares the perspectives and aspirations of 17 low-income and working-class students based on interviews the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) conducted over two semesters of their college journeys. The report identifies opportunities for policymakers and institutional leaders to support all students through completion,…

Federal student aid comes from the federal government--specifically, the U.S. Department of Education. It is money that helps a student pay for higher education expenses (i.e., college, career school, or graduate school expenses). Federal student aid covers such expenses as tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation.…

Federal student aid comes from the federal government--specifically, the U.S. Department of Education. It is money that helps a student pay for higher education expenses (i.e., college, career school, or graduate school expenses). Federal student aid covers such expenses as tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation.…

For students and their families, deciding whether and where to go to college is one of the most important financial decisions they will ever make. However, unlike buying a computer, house, or car, most prospective students do not know how much it will cost them to attend a particular school until many of their choices about college have already…

By providing early, individualized estimates of college costs and financial aid, net price calculators can help prospective college students and their families look past often scary "sticker prices" and start figuring out which colleges they might be able to afford. These online tools, currently available on almost all college websites, can help…