This paper used Social Security Administration program data from 2005 to 2019 to examine national- and state-level changes in the number of new adult supplemental security income (SSI) awardees on the autism spectrum relative to awardees with intellectual disability and other mental health disorders. We identified three main findings: the number…

Community colleges serve the largest percentage of under-represented, under-prepared, and under-resourced students yet they are often underfunded in state budgets. This article demonstrates challenges and opportunities for community college leaders in state and federal political advocacy from the perspective of a community college state system…

Created in 1972, the Pell Grant program awards grants to low-income students to help pay for whatever accredited U.S. college they choose. Totaling $28.4 billion in 2019-20, the program is the most significant source of federal student aid for college. However, as the program turns 50 this year, many advocates are hoping to expand its reach and…

In 2023, the 118th Congress will reauthorize the federal Farm Bill, the primary legislation through which Congress supports the nation's system of land-grant colleges and universities for teaching, research, and cooperative extension, which supports local agriculture and the agricultural sciences. This report examines the contributions of and…

This publication provides a summary of data relating to students, programs, subjects and training providers in Australia's government-funded vocational education and training (VET) system, defined as all Commonwealth and state or territory government-funded training delivered by technical and further education (TAFE) institutes, other government…

Post-secondary education (PSE) and research play a critical role in advancing the economic, social, cultural, and political development of Canada. The federal government supports public PSE in Canada through myriad mechanisms such as tax measures, grants and loans to students, research funding, and the Canada Social Transfer (CST). This report was…

The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) program is the single largest source of federal financial assistance to support students' postsecondary educational pursuits. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that in FY2024, $85.8 billion in new loans will be made through the program. As of the end of the first quarter of FY2023,…

What barriers to compliance do research administrators face at liberal arts colleges and predominantly undergraduate institutions? What solutions can be offered to overcome these challenges? All academic institutions that receive government funding must abide by the same federally imposed rules and regulations for financial assistance, whether for…

President Truman asked the 1947 Commission on Higher Education to consider ways to expand educational opportunities to all Americans. The commission responded in Volume II of HEAD, a progressive document that recommended substantial federal support for higher education, particularly in the form of student aid. The American Council on Education…

This Data Point looks first at whether students who planned to go to college also met with a high school counselor about financial aid. The second question considers a different population of students, addressing whether students who enrolled in college also received aid. This analysis does not indicate a causal relationship between meeting with a…

Ensuring students' equitable access to talented educators remains a national priority. Congress established the Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive competitive grant program in 2015 to help address this goal, providing financial support to selected school districts to improve their systems for hiring, supporting, and retaining educators,…

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were established prior to the American Civil War and were created with the principal mission of educating African Americans. The problem that was addressed by this research is that HBCUs are facing declining enrollments and a 42% decrease in federal and state funding that threatens their…

The present study illustrates how select data can be organized to guide researchers to HSIs proficient at graduating Hispanics with STEM bachelor's degrees to investigate best practices that less proficient HSIs can adopt for program improvement. The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education…

The Biden administration launched a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan for federal student loans this year called Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE). The plan cuts borrowers' monthly payments compared with current IDR plans, provides earlier loan forgiveness for smaller debts, and prevents unpaid interest from accumulating. To better…

This memorandum provides the statutory requirements, procedures, and State plan submission instructions for each eligible agency (State) to receive its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 grant award under the "Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006," as amended by the "Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st…