ACCESS: COLLEGE COSTS
Fixing the financial aid formula for independent students
Assessing the financial situation of independent students is an imprecise exercise -- and flawed assumptions can jeopardize educational opportunities for those truly in need. According to a National Center for Education Statistics report, of the roughly half of
undergraduates who qualify as independent for financial aid assistance, 24 percent are single parents. Child-care grants are helping some independent students stay in school. But more help is needed. Fixing the Formula, written by Sandy
Baum with support from Lumina Foundation, proposes a more reliable method for determining independent students' financial aid. More...
ACCESS: ACADEMIC PREPARATION
Rigor in schools: main ingredient for the modern world
A new report warns that high school reform is not to prepare students for college and the challenges of the modern world because they are not receiving the rigorous high school education that today's world economy requires. Learn more in Results that Matter: 21st Century skills and High School
Reform, published by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and supported by the U.S. Department of Education.
ACCESS: STATE POLICY
State strategies for linking K-12 with college
Most high school students aspire to attend college, but rising college costs have limited the effectiveness of state policies aimed at expanding postsecondary access. A new report recommends that states develop policies requiring K-12 and postsecondary education collaboration to improve college readiness of all high school students. Read Claiming Common Ground: State Policymaking for Improving
College Readiness and Success, released by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
ACCESS: COLLEGE COSTS
Student debt: At what cost to the nation?
Higher education provides the nation long-term economic gains, better health and increased civic participation. It also trains the nation's leaders, public servants and educators. But as college costs rise, so does student debt. A new report, published by the State PIRG's Higher Education project, warns that high student debt may
deter skilled and dedicated college graduates from entering and staying in the field of teaching. Read: Paying Back, Not Giving Back: Student Debt's Negative Impact on Public Service Career Opportunities.
ACCESS: FINANCIAL AID
Growing divide in higher education examined
The Chronicle of Higher Education is featuring a series of articles on the growing divide in higher education. Read The Rich-Poor Gap Widens for Colleges and Students. Learn more about how rising college costs affect low-income students. | 
