Tuition Costs Research Articles

New Perspectives in Cultural Resource Management, by Francis P. McManamon, ed.

<i>New Perspectives in Cultural Resource Management</i>, by Francis P. McManamon, ed.

Redesign of Prior Learning Assessment in an Award-Winning Degree Completion Program

In the 21st century economic landscape, many argue the importance of a college degree, as entry into many occupations now requires advanced credentials. Pursuing a college degree costs time and money, often presenting barriers to those pursuing the dream. Prior learning assessment (PLA) offers a solution to spend less time and money earning a college degree by documenting outside learning. PLA shortens time-to-degree, reduces tuition costs, supports student persistence, and boosts degree completion, particularly for adult learners (non- and post-traditional students) and underserved populations. The purpose of this article was to examine PLA within an award-winning degree completion program primarily serving adult learners in order to improve practice. Aligned with the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning's (CAEL) standards for assessing learning, this article discusses the degree completion program, PLA course and competency portfolio, block credit competency model and block credit competency model and portfolio assessment, program administration, and implications.

Leadership Challenges of Urban Institutions of Higher Learning, Which Serve a Predominantly Diverse and Multi-cultural Student Population

The topic of this research article examines the unique leadership challenges confronted by staff and faculty of higher education institutions that serve a predominantly diverse and multi-cultural student population in urban areas of the United States. Urban colleges and universities are found in the large metropolitan cities of the United States where students are from the area, as well as domestic and international. The study isolates five areas of concern that raise leadership challenges for these institutions of higher learning. Specific areas of challenge are the rising cost of tuition, retention, student preparedness for higher education, technology, and gainful employment. The exploratory research within this study was conducted primarily in the New York tri-state area. It is qualitative in nature and conclusions are based on research and observations of subjects directly affiliated with these institutions.

Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among U.S. college students: a multi-institutional study

BackgroundCollege students may be vulnerable to food insecurity due to limited financial resources, decreased buying power of federal aid, and rising costs of tuition, housing, and food. This study assessed the prevalence of food insecurity and its sociodemographic, health, academic, and food pantry correlates among first-year college students in the United States.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among first-year students (n = 855) across eight U.S. universities. Food security status was assessed using the U.S. Department of Agriculture Adult Food Security Survey Module. Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Eating Attitudes Test-26 were used to assess perceived stress, sleep quality, and disordered eating behaviors, respectively. Participants self-reported their grade point average (GPA) and completed questions related to meal plan enrollment and utilization of on-campus food pantries.ResultsOf participating students, 19% were food-insecure, and an additional 25.3% were at risk of food insecurity. Students who identified as a racial minority, lived off-campus, received a Pell grant, reported a parental education of high school or less, and did not participate in a meal plan were more likely to be food-insecure. Multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and meal plan enrollment indicated that food-insecure students had significantly higher odds of poor sleep quality (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.43–3.76), high stress (OR = 4.65, 95% CI: 2.66–8.11), disordered eating behaviors (OR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.20–4.90), and a GPA < 3.0 (OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.19–3.07) compared to food-secure students. Finally, while half of the students (56.4%) with an on-campus pantry were aware of its existence, only 22.2% of food-insecure students endorsed utilizing the pantry for food acquisition.ConclusionsFood insecurity among first-year college students is highly prevalent and has implications for academic performance and health outcomes. Higher education institutions should screen for food insecurity and implement policy and programmatic initiatives to promote a healthier college experience. Campus food pantries may be useful as short-term relief; however, its limited use by students suggest the need for additional solutions with a rights-based approach to food insecurity.Trial RegistrationRetrospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02941497.

Deserción estudiantil: incidencia de factores institucionales relacionados con los procesos de admisión

La presente investigación estudia la incidencia que distintas variables institucionales relacionadas con el proceso de admisión tienen sobre el riesgo de deserción estudiantil, así como el efecto que tienen las ponderaciones asignadas a las áreas evaluadas en el puntaje de admisión en correlación con el desempeño académico. La población objetivo fueron los estudiantes matriculados en la Universidad de Caldas para las cohortes 2010-2012. Para ello se hace uso de modelos logísticos multivariados y de técnicas de optimización. Los modelos obtenidos arrojan que algunas variables del proceso de admisión, susceptibles de ser intervenidas institucionalmente, como puntaje de admisión, ingreso por segunda opción, programas de cupos especiales y costo de matrícula, tienen una incidencia estadísticamente significativa en el riesgo de deserción, influencia que varía entre facultades. Como conclusión, en la perspectiva de atenuar la deserción estudiantil y de incrementar el poder predictivo del desempeño futuro del estudiante, se deberían contemplar acciones tales como el repensar el ingreso por segunda opción, el sostener las políticas de ingreso por méritos académicos y de acción afirmativa y el modificar las ponderaciones actualmente asignadas a las áreas evaluadas en el proceso de admisión.

Digital Pedagogy–An Opportunity or a Threat?

The classroom is a very vibrant venue assembling learner aspirants from diverse backgrounds with varied abilities. To meet the individual needs of such diverse learners, the teacher should adopt several creative and innovative teaching strategies. The recent pedagogic mode is learner-centered and it is mostly task or activity based. In this process, the learners get fully involved and the teacher acts as a guide and facilitator, leading the learners to attain the set objectives. Digital pedagogy provides many opportunities to employ several strategies. While using digital technologies for teaching, care is to be taken to assess the impact of digital tools on learning. An attempt is made here to assess the opportunities and threats of digital of pedagogy. Digital technology aids independent learning and it enhances retention of information as instruction is audio-visual. Further, it reduces tuition costs; allow instructors a focused and objective instruction while educating students. However, there are adverse effects as well, as the learner gets distanced from feedback. The students may resort to choose available study material without a clear check on authenticity and quality of the texts; may tend to arrive at wrong conclusions, save alone distractions in study due to excessive edutainment. It may diminish the overall value and impact of personalized teacher-taught relationship resulting in socio-psychological problems. Integrating technology in education is like a double edged knife. A careful strategic planning is, therefore, essential to contain the disadvantages and take the best out of the digital pedagogy.

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.

The Determinants Of Expected Returns On Higher Education In Russia: A Human Capital Theory Perspective

This paper evaluates the determinants of the expected returns on higher education among students of Russian universities accounting for the variation of the socio-economic development of Russian regions. Based on the longitudinal study, ‘Trajectories in Education and Careers’, it is shown that the average salary in a region is positively related to the individual estimates of expected salary after graduation, but does not affect the relative returns on higher education, i.e. the expected percentage increase in wages, compared to the salary in the absence of a higher education degree. In general, the results correspond to human capital theory, and confirm the rationality of students’ salary expectations. The expected salary shortly after graduation from university is positively related to the academic achievement expressed in the university entrance exam (the Unified State Exam, USE), full-time study and prior work experience. Male students expect to receive higher salaries compared to female students. Students who study for free, expect lower salaries compared to those students who cover their tuition costs. An indirect influence (through USE results) of school characteristics and parental education on expected salary was found. In addition, we discovered a direct and indirect relationship between family income and expected salaries after university graduation.

Industry Analysis: The Student Loan Industry and History of Policy and Changes

From the beginning of their inception, Student Loans have been a powerful and many times necessary tool to allow middle and low-income families to send their children to college despite the increasingly higher costs (Collier, D. A., &amp; Herman, R., 2016). These loans are highly regulated by the government under different policies that have changed over time based on the needs of the borrowers and government officials involved. The concern, however, is that the debt is becoming harder for some borrowers to pay causing defaults and other household burdens (Archuleta, Dale and Spann 2013). There is significant importance to understanding the history of the student loan industry to learn the best way to manage student loan debt. There is much debate about which options are the most advantageous and the government has gone to great trouble of adding the new Income Driven Repayment programs to help assist in repayment. These programs came about due to the vast number of borrowers defaulting on their student loans because of a limited number of options. Unfortunately, Student Loan debt is the only debt that has extremely strict rules all but excluding bankruptcy causing some borrowers to default (Mohr, 2017). Consolidation options for borrowers also changed FFEL programs ended in 2007 taking away borrower benefits like 1% rate reductions after so many timely payments. Income Driven Repayment has been filling the gap and assisting in those who cannot afford a standard payment to make lower payments but also shown in Figure 1, only 28% of borrowers are taking advantage of the options. It is suggested the low participation is due to a lack of knowledge about the programs (Collier, D. A., &amp; Herman, R., 2016). My analysis is to shed light on the history of the industry, the current policies in place and how regulations and changes to regulations affect borrowers and the overall U.S. debt load. If we can take a good look at how some regulations have been ineffectively curtailing the debt boom we may be able to find more effective ways to manage student loan debt. I will be also discussing seven key effects causing the higher debt and default rates within the industry: • The monopoly of having only The Department of Education in charge of disbursing and servicing Federal loan debt leaves no competitive advantages for borrowers • The ineffective results of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau which was once under Dodd-Frank and was created to help alleviate decisive practices against consumers including student loan borrowers • The continued lawsuits against government hired servicing companies who are supposed to have the best interest of the borrower but rather have allegedly mislead borrowers purposely into higher payments and more debt. “The CFPB alleges that, among other allegations, Navient [one of the leading student loan servicing companies] ‘systematically and illegally [failed] borrowers at every stage of repayment’…” (Friedman, 2018) • The lack of information provided to borrowers to make an informed decision about their options • The higher Federal interest rates on student loan which do not coincide with the Libor or Prime rates that continue to be at a considerably lower rate than student loans • The drastic increases in tuition costs at both public, private and for-profit school Before tackling the problem, it is vital to understand the history of the problem and how we got here. There are many changes we can see that have occurred throughout history that started off with the hopes of bridging the gap between high income families and low-income families being able to get a higher education. From what can be seen the government shifted from grants and scholarships which provided for the social good of our society to a loan dominant scheme with huge reliance’s on student loans for an education (Collier, D. A., &amp; Herman, R., 2016).

Benefits of Summer Camp: What Do Parents Value?

This exploratory study examined parent perceptions about the benefits of and barriers to their child attending a residential summer camp. Researchers conducted a survey of 370 parents of summer camp attendees and 198 parents of camp-aged children who have never attended camp. Findings show that parents value different camp benefits depending on the gender of their child and whether any of their children have previously attended summer camp. Results from parents of camp-aged children who have never attended camp indicate that the most important reason they have not sent their children to residential summer camp is that they feel their child is not ready. Cost of summer camp tuition and busy summer schedules were seen as the greatest barriers to camp attendance. These findings can help inform the messages camps use in their promotional materials and help camps utilize a segmented approach for different target markets.Subscribe to JOREL

Commentary on "Moving Toward Excellence in Pediatric Physical Therapy Education: A Scoping Review".

“How could I apply this information?” The results of this scoping review provide thought-provoking insight into the state of current physical therapy (PT) education to prepare future physical therapists to work with children and their families. The evidence from this review indicates that the level of expertise and pediatric content in entry-level programs has increased over the past 27 years. However, concerns persist as to whether current students are being adequately prepared. The pursuit of excellence is dynamic, and a collaborative process among researchers, educators, and clinicians is recommended. Researchers with expertise in educational research design are needed to implement higher levels of research to explore unanswered questions about the characteristics of faculty who teach pediatric content, effective curriculum practices, and insights into how students learn most effectively driven through active partnerships with pediatric PT educators, clinicians, and students. Seeking information from current pediatric physical therapists and their employers may help inform the effectiveness of education approaches. “How should I be mindful when applying the information?” The central theme of this study is excellence, and the authors remind the readers that the pursuit of excellence includes consideration of culture, context, and values for all stakeholders. Remarkably, the initial intent of the authors was to complete a systematic review but due to the lack of rigor in existing studies, a scoping review was performed. The reader should be mindful that APTA and the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy play a vital role in this pursuit toward excellence (summits, conferences, guidelines, published resources, etc). While the focus of this review is entry-level PT education, the conclusions apply to residencies, fellowships, and continuing education for pediatric physical therapists. Barriers to education reform must address practicality issues, limitations of time within a full generalist entry-level program, limitations of access to children and families for learning, and the rising costs of tuition. Elizabeth T. Kennedy, PT, PhD, PCS Department of Physical Therapy Department of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics University of South Alabama Mobile, Alabama Sheree Chapman York, PT, DPT, PCS Children's Hospital of Alabama Birmingham, Alabama

SISTEM INFORMASI PEMBAYARAN KOMPONEN PENDIDIKAN BERBASIS WEBSITE PADA STMIK BUMIGORA MATARAM

STMIK Bumigora is the first college in West Nusa Tenggara that has an informatics engineering department. One of the problems faced by STMIK Bumigora is the absence of an online payment information system. The payment process that runs at this time is a conventional model that is through bank transfers that previously had to take a payment slip to the finance department, this process is of course not effective and efficient because it takes not a little time. From these problems, it is necessary to develop applications that can help the process of paying for tuition costs online. The system is developed using the waterfall method where there are several processes, namely the need for analysis, system design, implementation, testing, and maintenance. The results obtained from this study are an application for payment of the education cost component that can help students and institutions of higher education in the process of paying for education costs at STMIK Bumigora Mataram.

Dual Enrollment

The purpose of this study was to explore the reasons 162 rural area high school students participate in the dual enrollment program. Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to enroll in college courses for credit prior to high school graduation with local school districts covering the cost of tuition. Participants in this study were recruited from two rural agricultural counties from Washington State attending a local college. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that dual enrollment participation was related to academics, financial, social, and choice reasons. Results showed no significant differences between 11th and 12th grade participants regarding financial and choice reasons to participate. However, statistically significant differences were found regarding academic and social reasons for participation. Implications for rural educators and recommendations for future research regarding dual enrollment programs are discussed.

Education decisions and labour market outcomes

ABSTRACTThe financial return to a college degree is an increasing concern amid rising tuition costs and stagnant wages. Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), I analyse the effect of post-secondary choices on wages for individuals entering the labour force between 2004 and 2012. Matching methods provide evidence of strong returns to earning a bachelor’s degree for both genders, similar to previous literature. Relative to high school graduates, women see wage benefits of 8–21% for some college attendance. However, men see negative effects of between 6%–13% from some college relative to high school graduates. The returns to a sub-baccalaureate degree as compared to earning some two-year credits is between 8%–25% for women and 8–14% for men. Further, the wage returns to a sub-baccalaureate degree as compared to earning some four-year credits is between 9%–17% for women and 9–20% for men. This translates into an additional $2,500-$4,700 per year for women and an additional $2,900-$6,400 per year for men. Since the average respondent with some four-year college experience has 2.3 years of earned post-secondary credits, shifting some into sub-baccalaureate programs may substantially decrease both the financial and time commitments of post-secondary education while increasing the returns after degree attainment.

Dismantling the wall between church and state

The definition of public education is changing rapidly and radically in our current political landscape. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the debate over publicly funded school voucher systems, which direct taxpayer funds to parents to offset the cost of tuition at the private schools of their choice. Tina Cheuk and Rand Quinn address how three spheres of influence – the courts, the executive branch, and public opinion — are contributing to a slow dismantlement of the wall between the church and the state.

Public health education and health system needs in Pakistan: a mixed methods study

Pakistan has recently observed a significant growth in public health education programmes. Little is known about the structure of these programmes nor whether they are adequately responsive to national health system needs. We reviewed existing public health degree programmes in Pakistan along with an exploration of the national public health market and health system needs. A mixed-methods study was conducted between January 2015 and March 2016. Seventeen public health degree programmes were reviewed for programmatic and instructional attributes. Thirteen key-informant interviews were conducted to explore health system needs and challenges related to public health workforce. We found substantial variation in public health academic programmes in terms of offered courses, credit hours, number of faculty and tuition costs. About 70% of public health degree programmes were generic (i.e. with no specific concentration track) and only 18% offered practicums. Overall median tuition cost in 2016 was US$ 10 350. During key-informant interviews, emerged themes for challenges included lack of practical public health skills, limited knowledge of latest theoretical principles, poor communication skills and insufficient IT orientation. Identified themes about knowledge and skills areas to address future public health challenges of Pakistan included system thinking mind set, healthcare IT skills, and leadership and management skills. Public health education in Pakistan falls short of meeting current national challenges. Pakistan needs a national public health accreditation body for regulating education, harmonizing global standards to local context and developing relevant career pathways.

Economic models for sustainable interprofessional education

ABSTRACT Limited information exists on funding models for interprofessional education (IPE) course delivery, even though potential savings from IPE could be gained in healthcare delivery efficiencies and patient safety. Unanticipated economic barriers to implementing an IPE curriculum across programs and schools in University settings can stymie or even end movement toward collaboration and sustainable culture change. Clarity among stakeholders, including institutional leadership, faculty, and students, is necessary to avoid confusion about IPE tuition costs and funds flow, given that IPE involves multiple schools and programs sharing space, time, faculty, and tuition dollars. In this paper, we consider three funding models for IPE: (a) Centralized (b) Blended, and (c) Decentralized. The strengths and challenges associated with each of these models are discussed. Beginning such a discussion will move us toward understanding the return on investment of IPE.

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.

Foreign-Trained Dentists in the United States: Challenges and Opportunities.

The aim of the present study is to review the licensing process and challenges faced by foreign-trained dentists in United States (U.S.), and how incorporating foreign-trained dentists in the dental workforce in the U.S. impacts the population’s dental care. Foreign-trained dentists must complete additional training in a Commission of Dental Accreditation recognized program offered by a U.S. dental school in order to be eligible for licensing. Foreign-trained dentists interested in seeking employment in the U.S. face numerous challenges, including stringent admission processes, high tuition costs, immigration barriers and cultural differences. Opening the U.S. dental profession to foreign-trained dentists provides several advantages, such as increasing the diversity of dentists in the U.S., expanding access to underrepresented communities, and enhancing the expertise of the profession. Foreign-trained dentists are an important resource for a U.S. government seeking to build the human capital base and make the most of global trade opportunities through a “brain gain”. Increasing the diversity in the dental profession to match the general U.S. population might improve access to dental care for minorities and poor Americans, reducing disparities in dental care.