higher education

What Does It Take To Get To, And Through, College?

Francie Grace — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:29:05 -0500

Following up on our "Life after High School" study on college prep and attendance issues among 18- to 25-year-olds, we are researching the aspirations, obstacles and decision points on going to college and earning a diploma. We're talking to 22 to 30-year-olds who earned a degree or are on their way to doing so, and those who have dropped out or are strongly considering doing so, including a look at the choices of low-income students. Funding for this study comes from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more on these issues, check out "Squeeze Play" and "The Iron Triangle."

Priced Out Of Prosperity?

Paul Gasbarra — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:17:01 -0500

The picture was grim this week as the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education released a report predicting that a college education could soon become unaffordable for most Americans. In the past 25 years, the cost of college has increased by 439 percent. [The New York Times notes that this figure is not adjusted for inflation.]

When it comes to making schools affordable for their residents, all but one state flunked the center's rubric. Having spoken to people in higher education, this comes as no surprise. Though college costs have increased for a variety of reasons such as health care costs, energy costs, and competitive salaries from faculty, these increases are made far more drastic by a continual reduction of state funding for state schools.

The lack of state funds is often recouped by passing the price on to students. In turn, going to college costs a family a larger percentage of their income than previous years. Low income families are especially hard hit. The New York Times reports that a four-year university education would cost a family making median wages in the bottom quintile of earners 55 percent of its yearly income. In other words, the poorest families would have to contribute more than half of every dollar they make in order to get a four-year degree. And the alternative, community colleges, cost such a family nearly as much.

Of course, financial aid is available for many, but the report reveals shockingly that lower-income students get less than those from more affluent families. This is yet another confirmation of a trend spotted early last year in our report, "Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today," which was done with the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. Our researchers found that more than ever, people said they believe that many qualified, motivated students don't have an opportunity to go to college. This, at a time when college education is seen as a foundation for a middle class lifestyle.

College is not only necessary on a personal level - it also counts on a national one. As Patrick M. Callan, one of the principal authors of the recent report, points out, "The educational strength of the American population is in the group that's about to retire. In the rest of the world, it's the group that's gone to college since 1990."

The center's report projects that costs will only increase until eventually all but the most affluent Americans will be priced out of the university experience. That is, of course, if nothing changes and costs continue to go up while family incomes continue to go down.

Research underway at Public Agenda is exploring many of the ways different states are trying to hold down cost and increase efficiencies. The recent financial troubles have made this something of an involuntary act. As tax revenues decrease, state budgets often turn towards universities to make cuts.

While some of those may have been long overdue, Callan argues that cutbacks in time of fiscal stress are the opposite of what we need. If the argument is that an educated populace brings greater overall wealth to states and the nation, then now is the time to spend money and effort making college more accessible and affordable, and not to discover that soon very few will be able to afford their mortarboard.

Paul Gasbarra is a research associate for Education Insights, Public Agenda's initiative to help those on the front lines of education reform – teachers, parents, community and school leaders – cooperate more effectively to achieve key education goals. For more on education reform, check out his recent article, Homework For The New Administration And The 111th Congress and feel free to add your own ideas to his "to do" list for our leaders in Washington.

The Iron Triangle

David White — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:48:55 -0500

“The Iron Triangle” examines the views of more than two dozen college and university presidents who shared their thoughts with us in lengthy, one-on-one interviews. We found that in the view of many college and university presidents, the three main factors in higher education—cost, quality, and access—exist in what we call an iron triangle, and any change in one will inevitably impact the others. This is in opposition to the public, business and government leaders, who don't accept the idea that there is necessarily a reciprocal relationship between cost, quality, and access.

Is It Me Or Is This Dorm Room Crowded?

Paul Gasbarra — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:47:00 -0400

Enrollment is up this year, so up in fact that colleges are struggling to keep up. USA Today reports that many state schools are seeing far more freshmen than they anticipated. Now they have to scramble to find enough dorm rooms and classrooms to house and educate them all.

USA Today attributes part of this jump in enrollment to a weak economy. Students and parents facing tough times may decide to choose a more affordable school rather than an expensive private one. As covered in a previous post, this may not be the wisest choice considering the value a college's reputation plays when it comes to landing higher-paying jobs after graduation.

Of course, if students are residents of the state a state school is in, the price is even lower, and Mom and Dad don't have to spend as much gas money to bring care packages on Parents Weekend.

Travel expenses aside, the increased high school graduation rates and bump in enrollment suggest that Americans are taking higher education more seriously than ever. In our research report "Squeeze Play," we've seen a trend like this. Fifty percent of those surveyed said "college is necessary," and 87% percent of those interviewed - the highest percentage ever - said it's better for high school grads to go on to college because in the long run they'll have better prospects.

Soon colleges expect a decrease in numbers. Most of the Echo Boomers have arrived at age 18 and after they've all entered college, we should see a steady decline for about eight more years. One wonders what will happen to college costs when demand decreases.

No Loan, No College?

Scott Bittle — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:09:15 -0400

Tuition bills start to come due in the next few weeks, and there's more bad news for anyone in the market for a student loan. More banks have dropped out of the business because of the credit crunch, and those who are sticking with it are tightening standards. This Wall Street Journal story is particularly notable because it focuses on the students who need private loans to go to technical or trade schools. They're a significant part of the education world for lots of low-income students, but usually don't get as much attention as four-year or even two-year colleges.

Even before the credit crunch hit, our Squeeze Play study found more than half say college prices are rising faster than other expenses and six in 10 say many qualified students do not have the opportunity for a college education. Minority parents are significantly more concerned about college access. And our Life After High School survey shows how important post-secondary education can be, suggesting a real hit-or-miss career path for young people who don't get training beyond high school.

Math Isn't Adding Up on Plan to Double Science Grads

Scott Bittle — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:58:54 -0400

Efforts to double the number of college graduates with math and science degrees by 2015 are way behind schedule -- the coalition of business groups pushing the initiative reports that bachelor's degrees in the field have reached a plateau..

Our research shows there's a real gap between leaders and the public on this issue. Business leaders may be worried about the nation falling behind, but our research suggests that many parents don't feel the same urgency. In fact, parents' concern about math and science achievement has actually declined since the mid-1990s. And most say they're satisfied with the math and science education their kids are getting. In a regional study in the Kansas City area, we found only one-quarter of parents said their kids should be studying more math and science. That study forms the basis of Public Agenda's involvement in the Regional METS Leadership Coalition, working with Kansas City groups to close this gap and bring leaders and the public together on this issue.

Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count

Francie Grace — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:50:07 -0400

This Talking Circle at the University of New Mexico at Gallup, convened as part of the Achieving the Dream initiative to boost success rates at community colleges, got an auspicious start with a resounding welcome from the Cedar Lodge Drum Group.

By Lara Birnback

When the cameras roll for Hollywood's campus comedies, the colleges the screenwriters have in mind are typically leafy expanses where students have hardly a serious thought to consider. Reality is quite another picture.

Nearly half of all U.S. college students attend community colleges, an important part of the American dream because of their institutional commitment to providing broad access to higher learning.

Giving many income and age groups initial access to college isn't, however, enough to make the dream come true. Currently fewer than half of community college students are able to meet their educational goals.

With that problem in mind, "Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count", a national initiative, was developed to help more students earn certificates or degrees that open the door to further education, better jobs and greater opportunity.

Achieving the Dream, a multi-year initiative, is focused on helping more community college students succeed, particularly those student groups which traditionally have faced significant barriers to success, including students of color and low-income students.

Achieving the Dream works on multiple fronts, with multiple partner organizations, and includes direct efforts at community colleges and in research, public engagement and public policy. It emphasizes the use of data to drive change and focus on measureable outcomes.

Eighty-three community colleges in 15 states currently participate in Achieving the Dream, with the support of over 17 national, state, and local funders. Since 2005, Public Agenda has been working closely with other Achieving the Dream partner organizations and colleges to build the principles of effective dialogue and public engagement into their work with local communities and leaders, as well as community college staff, faculty, and students.

In addition to serving as the overall consultant on public engagement, Public Agenda has contributed original research, created stakeholder and community engagement materials and toolkits, and provided direct technical assistance to over twelve community colleges through three different pilot programs.

Throughout late 2005 through early 2006, Public Agenda worked directly with six colleges in Florida, Texas, Connecticut and Ohio providing technical assistance as they planned community conversations to engage the campus and broader community in a discussion about the best ways to help struggling students succeed.

The six conversations each attracted between 80 to130 students, community members, and college faculty and staff. In addition, Public Agenda developed an integrated "'tool kit" of print and video materials and discussion guides that all Achieving the Dream colleges - as well as community colleges across the country - can use to jump start community conversations and/or stakeholder dialogues on the topic of "Success is What Counts: Helping all Community College Students Succeed."

"The Public Agenda model… truly opens the dialogue so that people are fully valued for their opinions, experiences, and contributions," reflected an organizer of a well-attended April 2006 Community Conversation at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida. It also helps to prevent us from inadvertently looking past another person, not seeing or hearing what they are saying."

Participants in the Community Conversations have again and again cited the value of having the chance to sit and talk with people from a wide range of backgrounds - a vital component of the program.

Results and follow-up action at each college have varied, but in many locations one of the key results has been an effort to form greater connections and deeper partnerships with the local K-12 schools.

South Texas College in McAllen, Texas: Participants in this Community Conversation, set up with the assistance of Public Agenda's Public Engagement team, praised the format of free talk aimed at problem-solving and expressed interest in further grassroots efforts to change policy and K-12 curriculum.

Jefferson Community College in Steubenville, Ohio, for example, is planning a Fall 2008 follow-up Community Conversation in partnership with local school authorities to discuss college readiness community-wide. In San Antonio, Texas, a new "College Connection" program was created by Alamo Community Colleges in cooperation with the San Antonio Independent School District. As part of the program, each high school senior interested in the college is to be assessed and provided guidance with enrollment and financial aid.

Currently, Public Agenda is involved in two pilot programs intended to expand and deepen its past engagement work with the Achieving the Dream colleges. The first, Involving Faculty and Students in Creating a Culture of Success, is underway at Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts, Coastal Bend Community College in Texas, Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio and Capital Community College in Connecticut.

When done skillfully, the authentic involvement of critical stakeholders such as faculty, staff, and students in planning and implementing institutional change can minimize resistance, foster a sense of shared responsibility, and create a "distributed leadership" model.

Each of the colleges participating in this program is employing a variety of strategies including focus groups, student/faculty dialogue groups, and campus conversations.

While the work is still ongoing, the impact is already being felt. "I used to find my office hours were pretty quiet, and I had the chance to get work done," says a Coastal Bend Community College faculty member who was a part of the dialogue on that campus. "Now the word has gotten around that I'm available and my office is full of students!"

The second pilot program, Community Action & Engagement for Student Success, is being undertaken in collaboration with MDC, Inc. and is focused on deepening the relationship between the college and the surrounding community through the development of a college/community leadership team, thereby creating mutual accountability and responsibility for student success.

South Texas College in McAllen, Texas, and the University of New Mexico at Gallup are Public Agenda's college partners in this effort—and both are majority minority institutions. At South Texas, most students are Hispanic in origin, with a majority being Mexican and Mexican American. At Gallup, a great majority of the students are Native American, largely Navajo and Zuni.

"I had several informed moms in our group," says Susan Valverde, a moderator of a Community Conversation in McAllen, Texas. "They credited programs such as Gear Up for making them better able to support their kids. I was pleased to hear that folks are taking advantage of that resource."

"I was also pretty impressed by one student that talked about rigor and how much he wanted it," says Valverde. "He essentially felt that many classes (high school and college) are being taught to the lowest students in the class. It was refreshing to hear a young person say the he felt cheated by “easy route” because it not going to prepare him for career and life.

At the heart of this initiative is the realization that in some cases, even the best efforts by institutions to increase student success may plateau or stall due to widespread cynicism or ineffective community engagement and leadership. This has been particularly true in areas where significant disparity exists among groups along economic, social, or racial lines.

While a college may make numerous internal changes in policy and practice, commonly held beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, practices and policies in the community may nevertheless limit how much progress is made.

Encouraging results are being seen in this program as a result of each college's highly successful community conversations, which in Gallup are called "Talking Circles."

Nowhere is the role of the community college as a provider of hope more evident than in the comments of some of the participants in New Mexico, where parents suggested annual talking circles might be helpful to push for school reform.

Some suggestions came from hard-won personal lessons.

"I attended a community college," said one talking circle participant. "I had bad advising. I could have figured out how to get out of school a lot sooner with less money [spent]."

"I want to go back to school and learn but it is all about money and time," said another participant, with eyes trained firmly on the future – and a personal dream. "I want to get my kids out on their way, so it will be my turn because all I am is a high school graduate."

For more on Achieving the Dream, check out the national website for the initiative, as well as Public Agenda's mini-sites for the Achieving the Dream pilot programs, Involving Faculty and Students in Creating a Culture of Success and Community Action & Engagement for Student Success.

Lara Birnback is Public Agenda's Senior Public Engagement Project Director.

Report Debunks Stereotype of Asian Americans as 'Model Minority'

Jenny Choi — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:00:54 -0400

A new report on Asian Americans and higher education dispenses with the common stereotype that they are a single, homogeneous "model minority" and points out the dangers of educational policies based on such false premises. In fact, the umbrella terms Asian American and Pacific Islander, used by the U.S. Census, cover a very diverse population – some 48 different ethnic groups.

The study, based on census and federal education data, immigration statistics and College Board scores, comes from the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education (CARE), which is a collaboration between New York University, the College Board and Asian American community leaders and educators. Like other demographic groups in America, SAT scores of Asian Americans correlate with the income level and education of their parents, with immigration histories another major factor. Despite the common myth that Asian Americans excel in the areas of science, math and technology, the most common degrees awarded were for business and management. The report also points out that higher education statistics often combine international students from Asian countries with Asian Americans.

Our own study, Life After High School, examines the aspirations and decisions of young adults aged 18 to 25. We found that young Americans across all races greatly recognize the value of a college education. Seven in ten Asian Americans said that in their circle of friends, graduating from college is "something routine and expected," compared to just 41 percent of Hispanics and 46 percent of blacks. Eighty-six percent of Asian Amerians said their parents "strongly expected them to go to college," well above the percentage of whites and other minorities who said so. Looking ahead to the future, most in minority groups, including Asian Americans (75 percent), said they will be financially better off than their parents. Just 57 percent of whites thought so.

Majorities say getting a college education is more important today than it was 10 years ago

Nora Benavidez — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:27:05 -0400

Banks Back Off Student Loans at Community Colleges

Jenny Choi — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:38:34 -0400

The New York Times reports that many major national banks, in the midst of the current credit crisis, are no longer awarding loans to students at less competitive institutions, including community colleges. The article makes the point that because so many community colleges are a stepping stone to other institutions or job opportunities, the effect will be felt most by the neediest students. Still, according to a new report covered in the Washington Post today, making the switch from a community college to a 4-year college comes with its own complicated mass of red tape.

An unprecedented number of Americans now say a college education is necessary for success in the workplace, according to Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today. Vast majorities say costs should not prevent qualified students from attending, yet 62 percent say many qualified students do not have the opportunity for a college education. The public blames colleges and universities, in part, for these spiraling costs, with more than half (52 percent) saying colleges are like a business and mainly care about the bottom line.

Federal spending on higher education

jwilliams — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:42:49 -0400

Affirmative Action: What a Difference a Word Makes

Jenny Choi — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:33:20 -0400

Survey responses on affirmative action and increasing diversity on campus vary dramatically depending on how questions are worded and whether they emphasize the goal of diversity or focus explicitly on the issue of preferences. Surveys also suggest that many Americans may not completely understand much of the legal debate and press coverage of the issue. For example, surveys show that Americans have different definitions of what the words "affirmative action" mean and fairly large numbers say they aren't sure. Majorities of Americans say they support programs that offer "assistance" for minorities in college admissions or jobs, but support drops dramatically if the question is reworded to ask about "preferences." Most Americans say it is important for colleges to have a racially diverse student body, and more than half say "affirmative action" in college admissions should continue. At the same time only one in five say they believe that minority representation in higher education would decline if it were eliminated. Strong majorities of African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and whites say college admissions and job promotions should be based "strictly on merit," but minorities are far more likely to say that colleges and employers should make an "extra effort" to recruit qualified minorities.

Paying the Bill

Jenny Choi — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:31:16 -0400

When it comes to paying for college, the public sends distinctly mixed signals about how serious the problem is and frankly admits its own lack of knowledge. Half of parents say they're "very concerned" about saving enough to send their child to college, and majorities of Americans say government needs to do more to make college more affordable. Yet a majority also says that "almost anyone who needs financial help to go to college can get loans or financial aid" and that if "someone really wants to go to college, they can find a way to pay for it. Surveys also show that while majorities say in general they know "a lot" or "a good amount" about what it costs to go to college, Americans are unsure of what college actually costs when given specific estimates.

Does Everyone Need to Go to College?

Jenny Choi — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:29:53 -0400

There are some contradictions in the public's thinking about the necessity of a college education. Two-thirds of the public says it's possible to be successful in the work world without a college education and nearly half say there are too many students in college who don't belong there. Yet six in 10 parents say they consider going to college "absolutely necessary" for their own child. Minority parents are even more likely to value a college degree than the general public. Nearly two-thirds of Hispanic parents and almost half of African American parents consider a college education "the one thing that can most help a young person succeed," compared to about a third of white parents and the general public.

You Get Back What You Put In

Jenny Choi — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:27:42 -0400

Many experts worry about the fact that so many college students need remedial help or even drop out because they're struggling with their studies. When it comes to whether college students succeed in class, however, surveys find the public believes it's primarily up to the student to keep up. Most professors tell Public Agenda that incoming freshmen aren't prepared for college work. But in surveys, strong majorities of the public say it's mostly the student's responsibility to keep up with their studies and that the benefit a student gets from college depends on how much effort they put in. That doesn't mean the public absolves the college of all responsibility - nearly seven in 10 say a college should give extra counseling to a student who slacks off. But when asked to set priorities for college administrators, the public ranks cutting dropout rates and providing extra tutoring much lower than controlling costs or finding the best faculty.

Two-thirds say colleges should counsel students who slack off, but helping students is not as high a priority as...

jwilliams — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:51:14 -0400

Most say colleges are places where important issues should be debated about half say colleges should do more to encourage...

jwilliams — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:29:27 -0400

Nearly two-thirds approve of affirmative action being based on income rather than race

jwilliams — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:46:31 -0400

More than two-thirds say they support programs that give minorities assistance, not preference, getting into college

jwilliams — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:24:26 -0400

Most say it's important for colleges to have a racially diverse student body and half say affirmative action programs should...

jwilliams — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:16:15 -0400