Research Meets Practice at UW-Madison Student Success Lab

The University of Wisconsin-Madison this month celebrated the grand opening of its Student Success Through Applied Research Lab, an initiative that brings research and practice together through projects that address specific needs on campus in collaboration with staff who work directly with students.

AASCU Releases Top 10 Higher Education State Policy Issues for 2019

AASCU has released its top 10 higher education state policy issues for 2019. The brief predicts a more optimistic state policy landscape in 2019 due to factors such as strong state revenue forecasts, but also notes higher education also may face intense competition for state resources and the prospect of an economic downturn.

Federal Reserve Issue Briefs Look at Impact of Student Borrowing on Home Ownership, Rural Students

The inaugural issue of the Federal Reserve’s new series of briefs, Consumer & Community in Context, features two articles on student loans.

Grapevine Survey Shows Some Improvement in State Funding for Higher Education

Results from the annual Grapevine survey of state support for higher education show a slight improvement in funding levels for FY 2018-19.

Paper Finds Tuition-Free Promise Programs Reduce Income Gaps in College Choice

A recent National Bureau of Economic Research working paper focused on the effect of a targeted, tuition-free promise on college choices of high-achieving, low-income students in Michigan.

NBER Paper Explores How Cost of Instruction Varies by Field of Study

A recent working paper titled “Why is Math Cheaper than English? Understanding Cost Differences in Higher Education” released by The National Bureau of Economic Research analyzes department-level data to explore how the costs of postsecondary instruction vary across different fields of study.

Paper Studies Effects of Default Option on Student Loan Repayment

Findings from a recent NBER working paper suggest that as many as one in four student borrowers are enrolled in the federal standard repayment plan—and exposed to the risk of loan default—because it is the default repayment option.

Brookings Report Highlights Worrisome Trends Among Parents Who Borrow Money for Kids’ College

A new Brookings report discusses trends among parents who take out Parent PLUS loans to support their children through college.

Roosevelt Institute Report Examines Effects of Student Debt

The Roosevelt Institute published a report that looks at the effects of student debt in terms of whether earnings have increased with educational attainment, household wealth, labor market credentialization, and racial inequality.

NPR Highlights Study Showing Student Loans May Boost Community College Student Attainment

A recent NPR segment highlights the benefits of college borrowing for community college students based on a study by Lesley J. Turner and Benjamin M. Marx.

College Board Releases Annual Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid Reports

The College Board recently released its annual Trends in College Pricing and Trends in Student Aid reports for 2018. According to the pricing report, average published fees have increased, especially in the private nonprofit sector. To keep up, the student aid report revealed many institutions are moving to further supplement their students’ financial aid packages.

Report Examines How High School Students and Parents Perceive Public College Cost

A new Stats in Brief report published by the National Center for Education Statistics describes how high school students and their parents perceive the cost of one year at an in-state public four-year college.