College Tuition Costs Research Articles

Dollar Dollar Bill Y'all: The Eradication of Historically Black Colleges & Universities by the Federal Government, One Dollar at a Time

Under current federal regulations, families are being financially burdened by the cost of college tuition at Historically Black Colleges and Universities due to the lack of federal funding allocated to these vital institutions. Historically Black Colleges & Universities are struggling to keep their doors open to educate many Black students from low‐income families and first‐generation college students – the same demographic they were created to educate. Over the years, the burden has greatly shifted from the government to the backs of families. This Note proposes a three‐part initiative that adequately distributes nonperformance‐based federal funds to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The Rise and Fall of College Tuition Inflation

The cost of college tuition increased rapidly from 1980 to 2004 at a rate of about 7 percent per year, significantly outpacing the overall inflation rate. Since 2005, college tuition inflation has slowed markedly and has averaged closer to 2 percent per year for the last few years. Understanding what drives tuition inflation is important for predicting future tuition as well as personal income mobility. However, untangling the various supply and demand factors influencing college tuition can be challenging. {{p}} Brent Bundick and Emily Pollard document changes in college tuition inflation over time and attempt to explain the long rise and subsequent fall in college tuition inflation. They find that supply factors such as wages in the education sector and state appropriations to higher education both play important roles in explaining changes in college tuition inflation. In contrast, they find little evidence that demand factors such as changes in the availability of student loans have a significant effect on college tuition.

How Does the 15 to Finish Initiative Affect Academic Outcomes of Low-Income, First-Generation Students? Evidence from a College Promise Program in Indiana

As the cost of college tuition has increased, policymakers and practitioners have begun to examine the proliferation of college promise programs (i.e., tuition-free grant programs, debt free college programs) across the United States (Perna & Smith, 2020). These initiatives typically aim to lower or eliminate the cost of college attendance and in doing so increase college completion among underrepresented groups: predominantly low-income, first-generation, students of color. While several states and cities have announced or launched promise programs designed to improve college retention and completion, scholars of education policy and practitioners know relatively little about the implications of these initiatives, and whether certain policies or procedures are best suited to specific contexts. The purpose of this study is to determine what effect a statewide 30-credit hour annual completion policy had on the academic outcomes of college promise program recipients at two 4-year public research universities, Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) and Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI). The policy, which has been emulated in many states, aims to encourage students to take 15 credits per semester (or 30 credits per year) and thereby remain on course to complete a bachelor’s degree in 4 years (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2015; Lumina Foundation, 2017; SHEEO, 2008; U.S. Office of the Press Secretary, 2009). While the new legislation adopted in Indiana is an attempt by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) to improve college completion and on-time graduation of students, very few scholar-practitioners, aside from a few within the University of Hawaii system and Complete College America (CCA), have provided evidence that attempting to complete 30 credits per academic year significantly improves academic performance and subsequently, degree completion rates among underrepresented students. This study examines the implementation of and subsequent policy change to the early-commitment college promise program, Indiana Twenty-First Century Scholarship (TFCS) Program. Using administrative data from the Indiana University’s University Institutional Research and Reporting (UIRR) office, representing 7,842 low-income students who enrolled shortly before and adopt the policy was implemented, this observational study employs a quasi-experimental, difference-in-differences (DiD) approach to explore the impact of the Indiana Code Title 21 (IC-21-12-6-7) (30 credit hour annual completion policy) on students’ academic outcomes. Specifically, this quantitative study examines the heterogenous treatment effects of this policy change on the academic performance (e.g., cumulative credit hours accumulated, cumulative grade point average [GPA], degree completion status) of Indiana TFCS recipients at IUB and IUPUI, compared to non-TFCS Pell recipients from the same time period (Fall 2011 through Fall 2014 cohorts). The study will be guided by the following research questions: (1) To what extent did the 30-credit hour annual completion policy (15 to Finish) achieve its intended effects: increasing credit accumulation, improving student progress and increasing graduation rates? and (2) How do any of the identified policy effects moderated by demographic factors (race, gender, generation) and pre-college characteristics (high school GPA, SAT score)? Does the policy appear to have differential effects for various types of students? Results suggest that the 30-credit hour annual completion policy showed a positive significant effect on credits and grades but had no effect on degree completion status at IUB (a small town, primarily residential, more selective, flagship research university). In addition, the study found a significant interaction effect for Gender and Generation Status when accounting for pre- and post-policy groups. Specifically, Gender yielded significant interaction effects on TFCS recipient academic outcomes in terms of Year 1 Cumulative Credits, Year 2 Cumulative Credits, and Year 1 Cumulative GPA, suggesting that female students at IUB appear to have significantly benefited from the 30-credit hour annual completion policy. The policy had no interaction effect on low-income, first-generation students enrolled at IUPUI (an urban, primarily nonresidential, moderately selective research university) for both the academic progress continuous variables and the college completion status binary variables. These findings demonstrate that the policy, which was related to a broader, national 15 to Finish initiative did not produce its intended effect, nor did it have any adverse consequences for low-income, first-generation students. The results of this policy evaluation research have important implications for policymakers, politicians, university administrators, and advanced practitioners who seek to design college promise programs for completion. This research contributes to the empirical literature on state policies aimed at increasing student progression and completion. Moreover, this study extends beyond the CCA’s 15 to Finish initiative and highlight the broader effects of required academic performance policies on student success. The study will inform public debate about and adjustments of the policy and will also highlight several directions for future research.

Open educational resources: an analysis of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities student preferences

ABSTRACTThe cost of college tuition and textbooks continues to rise and can function as a barrier to education for many students. This study evaluated Minnesota State Colleges and Universities students’ attitudes towards different types of learning material (e.g. commercially printed textbooks, eBooks and open educational resources (OERs)) and class type preferences (e.g. on-campus, hybrid and online). In addition, students indicated that they had ever chosen not to purchase a required textbook as well as how much they pay on average for a single textbook and approximately how much they paid for textbooks in the most recent semester. Cost was noted as a common deterrent; however, a more frequent reason provided by students for not buying a textbook was being able to adequately complete assignments without the textbook. This indicates that instructional method might be more of an issue than cost. OERs would lower these costs, but few students have been exposed to this kind of learning material and the overall impact on teaching quality is still largely unknown. The differences between two-year institutions and four-year institutions are examined and ideas to remedy the problem are noted.

Prospects of Crowd funding Education: A Conceptual Framework

Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation. –John F. Kennedy. John F. Kennedy‘s quote about the goal of education could very well be applied to the social and economic progress of a country. Crowd funding has emerged in education as a means to make private dreams a reality through collective micro financing. The flip side of the story is that, while a segment of the population receives quality education, most underprivileged kids are deprived of this basic need. College tuition costs have rocketed up over the past decade and experts expect education costs to continue their upward trajectory over the coming years. Crowd funding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising funds from a large number of people, often performed via internet-mediated registries. The cycle is viscous—you educate one generations follow. By ensuring quality education, one is assured of their right for a better life. In the face of increased competition and diminishing federal funding, some academicians and students are turning to crowd funding platforms to raise money. This paper is intended to study the challenges facing crowd funding and understanding the level of awareness about this emerging source of finance among the masses for the advancement of education.

Analysis of Economic Motives in the Individual Choice of Educational Paths

The article explores economic motive forces that drive individuals to make their choices of educational paths. This research issue is relevant in equal measure to theory — the study of economic human behavior, and practice — the enhancement of human capital investment efficiency. The authors have developed an econometric model of individual choice decisions concerning educational paths. It was implemented with the software support and bolstered with the live data on over 5.5 thousand students. To analyze the values of rational economic expectancies in the choice of educational paths, the students’ preferences were compared to the optimal, economically feasible educational paths. The findings have shown that a choice of educational paths is chiefly made in line with the economic incentives. With respect to the analyzed sample, 66% of university applicants made their choices with regard to economic preferences. Higher expected earnings after graduation — 22% of the choices, and reduction in college tuition costs or education against the budget — 12%, are the most significant factors shaping optimal educational paths. We believe that one outcome from the research is the prospect of a national policy issue for human capital investment with due regard for students and university entrants’ expectancies.

Competency‐Based Education: Changing the Traditional College Degree Power, Policy, and Practice

Higher education is going through a time of change. The United States federal government and its Department of Education are calling for reform as student debt has increased and the cost of college tuition has risen steadily to unattainable levels. In the next decade, the number of jobs requiring a college degree will increase to 70% of all new jobs. Competency‐based education is currently being explored as an alternative to a traditional college degree. Under this umbrella, students will be assessed on what they know rather than how much time they will spend seated in a classroom. Competency, rather than credit, is now being given serious consideration by federal and state agencies. This literature review examines the research and provides an overview of competency‐based education. New and existing programs demonstrate a variety of formats and approaches to competency‐based education. The literature also addresses various types direct assessments including prior learning assessments, formative and summative assessments. It is increasingly evident that there is a need for an alternative to the traditional, expensive college degree.

The Short-Term Effects of the Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship on Student Outcomes

In order to study whether college scholarships can be an effective tool in raising students’ performance in secondary school, we use one aspect of the Kalamazoo Promise that resembles a quasi-experiment. The surprise announcement of the scholarship created a large change in expected college tuition costs that varied across different groups of students based on past enrollment decisions. This variation is arguably exogenous to unobserved student characteristics. We estimate the effects of this change by a set of “difference-in-differences” regressions where we compare the change in student outcomes in secondary school across time for different student “length of enrollment” groups. We find positive effects of the Kalamazoo Promise on Promise-eligible students large enough to be deemed important - about a 9 percent increase in the probability of earning any credits and one less suspension day per year. We also find large increases in GPA among African American students.

An Ounce of Prevention

Despite $60 million from Eli Broad and Bill Gates, education didn't emerge as a central presidential election issue. This is hardly surprising. The economy seemingly reels from a new blow every day, house prices are still falling, global warming takes on new urgency, energy prices are abating a bit but remaining high, and we are gifted by the occasional nasty surprise, like the Georgia-Russia war and Hurricane Ike. However, education is sure to get its day in the sun with attention ensured by such groups as the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education, organized by the Education Policy Institute, and the Education Equality Project, featuring New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City schools Chancellor Joel Klein, and Rev. Al Sharpton. No Child Left Behind reauthorization will doubtless be front page and the fights fierce. One topic likely to arise in the process is what to do about early intervention programs. Early childhood education concerns James Heckman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist at the University of Chicago. In recent years, he has been quite worried over the downward direction of social indicators and how to turn that around. In a phrase--preschool education. In a May 2008 paper, Heckman links a number of his concerns and prescriptions. He backs up his summary of the situation with a lot of research, some done by himself and colleagues. follows in italics are his words; my annotations are in plain text. Many major economic and social problems, such as crime, teenage pregnancy, dropping out of high school, and adverse health conditions, are linked to low levels of skill and ability in society. Note the word linked. Heckman is not making a strong causal case. While increases in college attendance rates have slowed, he notes that high school dropout rates are rising. He does not accept the official National Center for Education Statistics rate, but his own calculations of graduation rates are higher than those of Chris Swanson of Editorial Projects in Education or Jay P. Greene of the University of Arkansas. He calculates that the rate for native-born students peaked around 80% in the 1960s and has declined 4% or 5% since. More of tomorrow's workforce will come from minority populations in which educational attainment, especially in males, is lower than for whites. What forces have produced these low levels and adverse trends? Heckman asks. the public schools responsible? Can we look to school reform to fix the problem? Are higher college tuition costs to blame? I argue that the answer is 'no' to all of these questions. In analyzing policies that foster skills and abilities, society should recognize the multiplicity of human abilities. Given the relentless push for ever-higher test scores from some reformers, this contention comes as a pleasant relief. Heckman takes NCLB to task for focusing only on test scores. He adds that motivation, sociability, the ability to focus on tasks, self-regulation, self-esteem, time preference, health and mental health all matter, as do perseverance, attention, and self-confidence. (Time preference is an economics term referring to an individual's tendency to focus on his condition in the here and now vs. thinking about what it might be in the future). Ability gaps between the advantaged and disadvantaged open up early in the lives of children. Most of the gap at age 18 is there at age 5. Schooling plays a minor role in creating or perpetuating gaps, Heckman writes. These gaps include gaps in behavior problems (he does not discuss the possibility of cultural insensitivity or outright racism in the system). Heckman delves into behavioral genetic studies, which have indicated that the nature-nurture debate is over. Nature won. Nurture won. But heritability of I.Q. differs markedly by socioeconomic class. In affluent families, most of the variance comes from genes; in low SES families, variance comes mostly from experience. …

Does College Still Pay?

Since the mid-1990s college tuition costs have risen quickly while the rate of increase in the value of education has slowed considerably. Cecilia Rouse and Lisa Barrow explore the reasons and ask if college remains a good investment.

Cold War America, 1946 to 1990

Examining a time of immense change that called into question some of the most accepted and honored standards, principles, and institutions in the United States, this new volume in the Almanacs of American Life series provides a detailed look at everyday life during the second half of the 20thcentury. Cold War America chronicles all aspects of society during this tumultuous era: changes in the economy, from banking and finance to prices and inflation; trends in entertainment, from popular music to college sports; politics, from policy to scandal; the telecommunications revolution, from the post office to the internet; and much more. Tables provide detailed statistics and information on such things as Academy Award[registered] winners, per capita amount of meat consumed, average cost of college tuition, Vietnam casualties, blizzards, and methods of birth control. Excerpts from important documents of the time include the Twenty-second through Twenty-eighth Amendments to the Constitution; Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas; President Elsenhower's explanation of the origins of the Domino Theory; JFK's inaugural address; and Roe v. Wade. This thorough compilation of information on American life covers the major events of the forty-five year period that was the cold war.

Wage Equations and Education Policy

One of the most widely estimated regression equations in economics is that of the earnings or wage function, which relates a measure of market remuneration (e.g., hourly wage rates, annual earnings) to measures of human capital stocks such as completed schooling and market work experience. In the first half of this paper, I address two related questions: (1) What interpretation should be given to the wage equation? and (2) Why should we care about estimating it? The second half of the paper is devoted to the consideration of education policies, such as changes in college tuition costs, in which the estimation and interpretation of wage equations play important roles.

Prepaid Tuition Plans for College Education:

During the 1990-91 school year, thirty states cut higher education budgets by an average of 3.92 percept. Higher education costs for universities and tuition fees for students have increased dramatically during the 1980's and likely will continue to rise during the 1990's. Parents are concerned that a college education may be prohibitive in the near future. Consideration of prepaid tuition programs as a means of funding a college education may provide a means to ease that concern. This paper discusses strengths and weaknesses of prepaid tuition programs and provides an analysis to illustrate their use as a possible alternative in funding a child's future education. Some financial planners seem to be steering people away from these prepaid plans. However, prepayment plans do offer significant potential benefits to parents in regard to locking in the cost of college tuition. As seen in the analysis, a parent of ten-year-old child can invest $10,356 and receive tuition benefits in excess of $30,500.

College tuition costs and early career socioeconomic achievement: do you get what you pay for?

The effects of college tuition costs on early career educational, occupational and economic achievements were estimated for a national sample of black and white college students. The findings suggest that attending a relatively high tuition college has a net positive influence on such outcomes as educational attainment, occupational status, income and women's entry into sex-atypical careers. These effects remained significant even when controls were made for student background characteristics (e.g., socioeconomic origins, secondary school achievement, educational and occupational aspirations); the academic selectivity, private/public control, size and graduate orientation of the college attended; and one's specific college experiences (e.g., academic major, academic achievement and social involvement). The findings are discussed in terms of several plausible causal mechanisms.

Project Advance Biology: An Alternative to Advanced Placement Biology

FOR THE PAST 25 years, the Advanced Placement (AP) Program has given high school students the opportunity to undertake college-level work while in a secondary environment. More than 1,000 colleges and universities grant credit and/or advanced placement to those who obtain a grade on the AP examination that is acceptable to the college. By offering college-level courses in 15 different subjects, the AP program has even enabled some high school seniors to earn enough credits to fulfill their freshman requirements for college. Con sidering the rising cost of college tuition, this acceleration represents a significant savings, while giving the student time for more advanced work or for taking electives. Recently, another program that enables high school seniors to take college courses for credit has been implemented; this is the Syracuse University Project Advance Program (Wilbur and Chapman 1978). Since its inception in six pilot high schools in 1973, the Project Advance program has grown so that it now serves over 4,000 students in nearly 90 schools located in New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Massachusetts. Introductory col-

Expected Returns to Investment in Higher Education

The effects of college tuition costs on early career educational, occupational and economic achievements were estimated for a national sample of black and white college students. The findings suggest that attending a relatively high tuition college has a ...