The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS)
December 11, 2018 Student Success
A new Institute for College Access and Success report details existing requirements that govern the calculation and provision of post-college employment metrics, documents weaknesses in existing data, and recommends federal and state policy changes to support comparable, accurate, accessible information for measuring post-college employment outcomes.
Inside Higher Ed
December 10, 2018 Admissions
Texas has a policy in place since 1977 that states that any student graduating in the top 10 percent of their public high school graduating class is guaranteed admission into any public college or university in the state. This has been working better than holistic admissions for high-achieving, low-income students. Although it is unlikely that this plan will work across all colleges, it is good to note that it has increased the diversity in Texas public colleges.
Inside Higher Ed
December 10, 2018 Research, Student Success
The number of doctorate degrees awarded in 2017 decreased to 54,664 from 54,862. Although the number of science and engineering degrees has increased, the number of non-science and engineering degrees has decreased. More interesting date patterns are explored in the number and type of doctorate degrees earned.
Education Dive
December 07, 2018 Admissions
The average tuition increase has fallen since 2014, perhaps because of the competition for students. High school graduation rates are also slowing down, giving colleges a smaller pool of qualified students to recruit from. Tuition and state funding may be lacking, but colleges are looking into raising funds in other ways such as philanthropy and investments.
Inside Higher Ed
November 28, 2018 Research
E. Gordon Gee and Stephen M. Gavazzi, discuss topics from their book, Land-Grant Universities for the Future: Higher Education for the Public Good. Key topics include the 1862 federal law, the Morrill Act, and how some land-grant universities have become internationally prominent research universities.
Wall Street Journal
November 14, 2018 Value and Affordability
A five-year research project that followed 20,000 students at an urban community college found that taking student loans can help students earn better grades, take more classes, and graduate sooner. Students who take out loans are able to work less and concentrate on classes more because they have the financial security provided by the loan. However, this is a potential trade off to accumulating debt post-graduation. (Subscription required)
Inside Higher Ed
November 13, 2018 Enrollment Management Trends
The enrollment of international students at colleges and universities in the United States fell by about 6.6% in the 2017-2018 academic year. The decrease in enrollment is consistent across all levels of students (i.e. undergraduate and graduate students). Several factors contribute to this decline including social and political factors that have influenced countries who have historically sent students to the United States.
The Atlantic
November 13, 2018 Student Success
Michelle Obama was a low-income minority student who detailed her experiences in her application essay to Princeton University in the early 1980s. Although she was well qualified to be at the school, she and other students with similar backgrounds had difficulty integrating with their majority white and male peers. Unfortunately, her story is still emblematic today of an all-too-common narrative for low-income and minority students, particularly those at elite institutions.
Education Dive
November 05, 2018 Enrollment Management Trends
Colleges and universities continue to rely heavily on various digital solutions to inform decision-making. However, the use of technology is not enough, and must be paired with a commitment to analytics and data-driven decision making. This commitment begins with establishing buy-in across the institution and ensuring data collected is accurate, usable, and consistent.
Inside Higher Ed
November 05, 2018 Enrollment Management Trends, Value and Affordability
Campus leaders and state policy makers regularly need to decide how to balance awarding need-based aid and merit aid to prospective students. New data suggests that at the state level, the amount of funding for need-based aid is growing. To put it in dollar terms, states allocated $233 million more in need-based grants in 2016-17 than they did the previous year, and just $18 million in additional non-need-based grants. Another area of state financial aid policy that has been drawing attention is the question of whether states are shifting support toward students who attend public universities and away from those at private colleges.