Many college students struggle financially, and student debt continues to grow in the United States. Students that complete a degree can have high monthly student loan payments, and those that do not complete a degree can struggle financially even more. There is a growing amount of research examining methods to reduce these financial challenges.…

This study reports on learning outcomes of one-credit writing-intensive (W) courses in the disciplines at a large public university where three-credit W courses are the norm. An evaluation of 210 final papers from four departments--Allied Health, Animal Science, Economics, and Nutritional Sciences--revealed that writing outcomes, as defined and…

Some institutions' prior learning assessment (PLA) programs are far more successful than others. As with any strategic initiative, the best-intentioned policy is only as good as the implementation, operations, and people behind it. Beyond progressing through the change management process, ensuring sustainability is critical to long-term PLA…

This article represents the culmination of a two-year qualitative case study concerning how 33 students in a service-learning course understood poverty as they prepared taxes for low-income families through the IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Because the tax site communities are seen as community partners in their own right, this…

At its most elemental level, dual enrollment--sometimes known as dual credit or concurrent enrollment--enrolls high school students in college-level courses. The exact nature of each dual enrollment program varies from state to state, but generally students earn college credits when they pass their classes. In this article, the author discusses…

The paper considers a problem of financial resource allocation in a higher education institution. The basic financial management instruments and the multi-stage cost minimization model created are described involving financial instruments to constraints. Both societal and institutional factors that determine the costs of educating students are…

Faculty participation in mentoring undergraduate research can be limited by the time demands involved and the relatively low compensation typically offered at most institutions. The system designed by Chapman University's Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (OURCA) facilitates independent research by undergraduate students who…

Children's Campaign examines child well-being across the state and identify data-driven solutions to improve the lives of Colorado's kids. In 2017, the Campaign was relentless in their efforts to ensure every chance for every child. Highlights for the year include: (1) Colorado's child poverty rate fell to 13 percent in 2016--its lowest point in…

This 50-State Comparison focuses on Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) policies, which refer to a process to award academic credit for prior learning. This process involves assessing the learning and workforce skills a student has acquired through life and employment experience. Assessments can be performed using a variety of tools such as a…

This article provides an overview of non-religion-based state constitutional challenges to educational voucher and tax credit/scholarship programs. The first section discusses litigation examining whether education voucher programs violate constitutional provisions requiring the legislature to provide an efficient system of public schools. The…

Transfer students are an important population in higher education, and this has prompted a significant amount of research on their completion and success. Yet research on transfer student college choice and factors involved in the decision-making process remains fairly limited. Using a case study approach, the current research aims to identify and…

From 2014 to 2017, Canada's citizenship and immigration policies underwent significant changes that directly impacted international students in Canada, and through extension, the internationalization of Canadian higher education. Canada's International Education Strategy seeks to increase the number of international students studying in the…

Millions of high school students take Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which can provide college credit. Using nationally representative data, I identify a diverse set of higher education outcomes that are related to receipt of AP college credit. Institution fixed effects regression reduces bias associated with varying AP credit policies and…

Vocational education was once synonymous with tracking--the systematic funneling of low-income, underrepresented minority, limited English proficient, and low-achieving students into technical pathways with limited educational and economic benefit. But more recent research has found that students who concentrate in career and technical education…

Postsecondary education is widely seen as a necessity in the modern economy, yet among low and middle-income families, college enrollment rates are dismayingly low -- and graduation rates are even lower. College Promise programs, which cover local students' college tuition and fees, are one strategy states and municipalities use to help. But…