ACCESS: ACADEMIC PREPARATION & ENCOURAGEMENT
Creating a culture for college
Project GRAD creates a college-bound culture for under-served communities. This national education reform program helps low-income students graduate from high school and prepares them for college. More...
ACCESS: ACADEMIC PREPARATION
Common skills needed for college and work
The reading and math skills needed for workplace success are comparable to those needed for first-year college success, according to an ACT study. Based on these findings, ACT recommends a common academic program for all students. More...
ACCESS: FINANCIAL AID
Merit-based aid grows faster than need-based
Though rising college costs affect all students, they hit low-income students hardest. Over the last decade, need-based aid has increased 99 percent while merit-based aid has increased 348 percent. This trend is continuing, according to the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid
Program's annual survey. Learn more about state policies on merit aid.
ACCESS: FINANCIAL AID
Pell Grants may narrow achievement gap
A recent analysis suggests that the Pell Grant program may help close achievement gaps and help students pay for college. Read an analysis of a 2002 Achieving the Dream student cohort in the latest Data Notes, a publication of Achieving the Dream, a national initiative to help more community college students succeed. See past issues of Data Notes.
SUCCESS: COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Work and college: How well do both mix?
Community college students who do not work perform slightly better than all students who work, and GPA declines as the number of work hours rises, according to an issue brief released by the American Council on Education. Read Working Their Way Through College: Student Employment and Its Impact on the College Experience.
ACCESS & SUCCESS: POLICY
Rising textbook costs, focus of study
The rising cost of college textbooks add to the financial barriers that hinder access to a college degree. A Congressional committee will conduct a one-year study of the rising cost of college textbooks and its impact on students. More...
ACCESS & SUCCESS: POLICY
Are America's colleges ready for 21st century demands?
If this country is to retain a competitive advantage, more Americans must complete college. Essays by former Gov. Jim Hunt and business leader Thomas Tierney call for stronger U.S. colleges and universities to meet the demand for more and better-educated workers. Read American Higher Education: How Does It Measure Up for the 21st Century?
SUCCESS: INSTITUIONAL SUPPORT
Condition of Education: 2006 released
The number of bachelor's degrees awarded increased 33 percent between 1989-90 and 2003-04, and the number of associate's degrees increased 46 percent. See more findings from The Condition of Education 2006. This National Center for Education Statistics
report summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. More... | 
