This study investigates how a network of New York City public schools use texting to increase enrollment and persistence in college. Text messages include tips and reminders to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid as well as college tips. Our multiple regression results suggest that although when the texting began did not appear…

The COVID-19 pandemic has created and will continue to create uncertainty in all facets of everyday life, exacerbating current challenges -- and generating new ones -- for every sector of the economy, including postsecondary education. As the pandemic continues, postsecondary education faces increasing pressures as concerns about health and…

State postsecondary education data systems are vital information assets for policymakers, researchers, and the public. The Communities of Practice project (funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) builds upon SHEEO's ongoing efforts to measure the capacity and effective…

As our country is on the brink of a new presidential administration and new Congress, amid a global pandemic, the importance of investing in and strengthening our nation's postsecondary education system has never been more important. Concerns over college access, affordability, and transparency are colliding with the growing demand in the…

Cowen Institute polls provide insights into how parents and guardians view New Orleans' uniquely decentralized K-12 public education system. This is the second of two briefs on the 2024-2025 poll, which is based on polling conducted in the fall of 2024. The survey polled 1,000 public and private school parents and guardians in Orleans Parish, as…

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) verification and its role in summer melt is examined in this brief. "Summer melt" is when high school seniors who appear ready to go to college the fall following graduation do not enroll. The study revealed one-third of Houston Independent School District (HISD) college-intending students…

Applying to college and securing financial aid are complex processes that can be barriers to college enrollment, particularly for individuals not entering directly after high school. These adults can seek out support from various organizations, including the U.S. Department of Education-funded Educational Opportunity Centers (EOCs), which operate…

This document contains the survey data and tables for the report "An Evaluation of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Funding for Postsecondary Institutions." In January and February 2021, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) collaborated with Student Affairs Administrators in Higher…

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an important application that prospective college students must complete to qualify for state and federal aid. This report describes how school district FAFSA completion rates are related to district-level poverty rates across and within states. Given that students from low-income backgrounds…

If universities want to survive into the century while maintaining relevancy to the business world and the global market, they must utilize innovative methods that engage students from the time of admission through graduation. Successful engagement equates to economic growth and positive branding. Students who are 'invested' and feel that the…

"Paving the Path to College Aid: Expanding Access to the Cal Grant Program" looks at promising practices for increasing Cal Grant application rates, including the initial implementation of AB 2160, a new law introduced by Assembly member Phil Ting and sponsored by Ed Trust-West, to streamline the Cal Grant application process by…

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions examines reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, focusing on examining proposals to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Following opening statements by the Honorable Lamar Alexander (Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) and…

To address concerns about the public postsecondary education offerings available to District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999 (P.L. 106-98) established the District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) program. The program is meant to provide college-bound DC residents with a greater array of…

In April, 2015 the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) joined a collaboration to assist students whose college or career school closed while they were attending or shortly after they withdrew. This collaboration, a response to the closure of Corinthian College, received hundreds of student inquiries in the first…

State policies to promote postsecondary education historically have been devoted to funding and operating public colleges and universities. Increasingly, states are funding direct aid to their residents to attend public and private colleges within state borders. The majority of state aid is targeted based on the student's family income. States are…