College tuition getting more expensive for those who can afford it the least
As universities and colleges increase their tuition, a larger share of it is falling on the lowest-income students and their families. Those are among the findings of an investigation by The Hechinger Report, the Dallas Morning News, and the Education Writers Association, which used federal data to show that lower-income and working-class students at private colleges […]
So how are college graduates really doing? A few schools are willing to tell us
A word rarely uttered on college tours sits atop the website of St. Olaf, a small liberal-arts college south of Minneapolis with an annual estimated cost of $51,860. Next to clickable categories about arts and athletics appears the unlikely word “outcomes.’’ And if you click on the word, a headline materializes promising “The Return on […]
Letting cities lead the way to more college graduates
Want more college graduates in the U.S.? One place to start is close to home. Foundations and community groups are partnering with twenty American cities as part of a new effort aimed at increasing the number of residents with postsecondary credentials. Everything from technical and planning assistance to data tools and access to a network […]
Conflicting ideas about how to rate teacher prep programs
After winning a hard-fought battle against the teachers union to impose a new teacher evaluation system, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has turned to evaluating the training programs that produce the city’s teachers. The New York City Department of Education recently released what it dubs as “the nation’s first ever district level Teacher Preparation […]
Massachusetts boards performance funding train
With the announcement that Massachusetts community colleges will be funded based on graduation rates and other measures, Hechinger’s Jon Marcus spoke about this national trend on public-radio station WBUR’s Radio Boston program. The state joins dozens of others in which public higher education competes for dwindling state funding based on outcomes, not just enrollment. Some […]
Are families reaching the limit for college costs?
Hechinger’s Jon Marcus appears on the radio program Here & Now to talk about a Sallie Mae report that shows what families pay for college has leveled off as parents and students become resistant to further price increases — and universities and colleges have to offer deeper and deeper discounts to fill seats.
Can students trust information from admissions offices?
As students choose their colleges for next year, Hechinger contributing editor Jon Marcus speaks on Here and Now about whether they can trust the information they receive from admissions offices. Several have been caught misrepresenting test score and other information to improve the way they look to prospective students and rise up the college rankings. In the […]
Can we please change the conversation about college admissions?
If you’re spending any time in the company of ambitious high-school seniors or hyper-competitive parents these days, you may be reading Facebook posts with status updates proclaiming acceptances at prestigious colleges: “Dartmouth! Duke! Vassar! Swag! I’m three for three!” You may not read about rejections, but you will certainly hear plenty about them, along with […]
What does the future hold for college costs and enrollment?
As the new semester gets under way at many colleges and universities, Hechinger’s Jon Marcus speaks with Here & Now host Robin Young about trends in cost and enrollment, and market forces coming to bear in the decision-making process.
Boards of trustees think the price of college is just about right
The boards of trustees and directors who oversee America’s colleges and universities think higher education has gotten too expensive—just not at their own institutions. In a finding that suggests there’s little sense of urgency among governing boards to rein in the cost of college, more than half of 2,500 board members surveyed said higher education […]
