“Free College:” Here to Stay?
16 July 2018
Providing “free college” programs is growing in popularity as more states seek to implement their own versions. But what can assure skeptics that these programs are as politically sustainable as they are politically popular?
Jen Mishory of The Century Foundation examines the fiscal sustainability of these plans. Looking at six free college programs that existed during the Great Recession, Mishory shows how they retained their financial and political support even as states were cutting other aid programs and education spending.
Who Pays? How Industry Insiders Rig the Student Loan System—and How to Stop It
2 July 2018
The student loan industry’s influence on government policy must be exposed, and its role in the larger student debt crisis cannot be downplayed.
Julie Margetta Morgan, a Fellow with the Roosevelt Institute, explains how powerful industry players have succeeded in exploiting the student loan system “for the good of student loan borrowers”. Margetta Morgan also argues that advocates and researchers need to not only change the rules of the system, but also change the way we think about the system.
Four Principles for a Free Community College Program That Works for All
6 June 2018
Policymakers looking at free or debt free college plans must also ensure their proposals are not overly restrictive or based on inaccurate assumptions about students. Sara Garcia at the Center for American Progress lays out the four key principles that these free community college programs should consider as more states seek to increase college access.
Affordability / Quality, Blog, Free Community CollegeHow the PROSPER Act’s Republican Supporters are Harming Their Own Constituents — District by District
6 June 2018
We’re breaking down just how much the PROSPER Act will cost the constituents of those Members of Congress who supported this dangerous bill. Checkout our spreadsheet to see how many recipients in each district will be harmed by PROSPER and how many student aid dollars are at stake in each district.
Blog, Fact Sheets“No Commencement in the Commonwealth” – A Look at How Massachusetts Higher Education is Underserving its Latino Students
30 May 2018
A new report by Ed Reform Now analyzes public higher education in the Bay State and reveals that the Latino graduation gap ranks 37th in the country.
Michael Dannenberg and Konrad Mugglestone examine how the Massachusetts higher education system is undeserving its Latino students and other students of color, and look at the research to give recommendations on how to improve college affordability and completion for these students.