While a substantial number of studies have evaluated the effects of merit aid programs, there is a surprising lack of any systematic consideration of how states determine eligibility criteria for these scholarships. The selectivity of merit aid eligibility criteria can be as important as whether or not such programs are adopted. If, for example, merit aid programs have broad, easily-attained initial eligibility criteria, then a large proportion of high school graduates, including low-income and under-represented students, will gain eligibility. On the other hand, if the criteria are more rigorous, then a smaller proportion of students, likely those already planning to attend and with the means to afford college, will be eligible. Thus, this innovative book - the first to deepen the descriptive and conceptual understanding of the process by which states determine merit aid scholarship criteria - is crucial to understanding merit aid's success and failures at fulfilling the promise of education.

A “bracing and well-argued” study of America’s college debt crisis—“necessary reading for anyone concerned about the fate of American higher education” (Kirkus). College is far too expensive for many people today, and the confusing mix of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid leaves countless students without the resources they need to pay for it. In Paying the Price, education scholar Sara Goldrick-Rab reveals the devastating effect of these shortfalls. Goldrick-Rab examines a study of 3,000 students who used the support of federal aid and Pell Grants to enroll in public colleges and universities in Wisconsin in 2008. Half the students in the study left college without a degree, while less than 20 percent finished within five years. The cause of their problems, time and again, was lack of money. Unable to afford tuition, books, and living expenses, they worked too many hours at outside jobs, dropped classes, took time off to save money, and even went without adequate food or housing. In many heartbreaking cases, they simply left school—not with a degree, but with crippling debt. Goldrick-Rab combines that data with devastating stories of six individual students, whose struggles make clear the human and financial costs of our convoluted financial aid policies. In the final section of the book, Goldrick-Rab offers a range of possible solutions, from technical improvements to the financial aid application process, to a bold, public sector–focused “first degree free” program. "Honestly one of the most exciting books I've read, because [Goldrick-Rab has] solutions. It's a manual that I'd recommend to anyone out there, if you're a parent, if you're a teacher, if you're a student."—Trevor Noah, The Daily Show

Includes information on Supreme Court cases: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, Gratz v. Bollinger, and Grutter v. Bollinger.

While a substantial number of studies have evaluated the effects of merit aid programs, there is a surprising lack of any systematic consideration of how states determine eligibility criteria for these scholarships. The selectivity of merit aid eligibility criteria can be as important as whether or not such programs are adopted. If, for example, merit aid programs have broad, easily-attained initial eligibility criteria, then a large proportion of high school graduates, including low-income and under-represented students, will gain eligibility. On the other hand, if the criteria are more rigorous, then a smaller proportion of students, likely those already planning to attend and with the means to afford college, will be eligible. Thus, this innovative book - the first to deepen the descriptive and conceptual understanding of the process by which states determine merit aid scholarship criteria - is crucial to understanding merit aid's success and failures at fulfilling the promise of education.

This book provides a comprehensive description of the federal government's relationship with higher education and how that relationship became so expansive and indispensable over time. Drawing from constitutional law, social science research, federal policy documents, and original interviews with key policy insiders, the author explores the U.S. government's role in regulating, financing, and otherwise influencing higher education. Natow analyzes how the government's role has evolved over time, the activities of specific governmental branches and agencies that affect higher education, the nature of the government's influence today, and prospects for the future of federal involvement in higher education. Chapters examine the politics and practices that shape policies affecting nondiscrimination and civil rights, student financial aid, educational quality and student success, campus crime, research and development, intellectual property, student privacy, and more. Book Features: Provides a contemporary and thorough understanding of how federal higher education policies are created, implemented, and influenced by federal and nonfederal policy actors. Situates higher education policy within the constitutional, political, and historical contexts of the federal government. Offers nuanced perspectives informed by insider information about what occurs behind the scenes in the federal higher education policy arena. Includes case studies illustrating the profound effects federal policy processes have on the everyday lives of college students, their families, institutions, and other higher education stakeholders.

This volume provides an overview of the state of the art of research on the politics of higher education policy in Canada, the US, and Western Europe. Each thematic chapter combines an extensive literature review with original empirical work that further advances our understanding of policymaking dynamics in higher education. The book covers five key aspects of policymaking, namely the politics of governance as well as funding reforms, the role of interest groups, policy diffusion, and policy framing. These aspects are explored using a unique comparative design that combines comparisons within as well as between regions, and among the five key aspects of policymaking. The conceptual framework is anchored in approaches from institutional theory, namely sociological and historical institutionalism. “This rare book coherently focuses on the same critical challenges that higher education faces in a changing global and national environment. These include vital governance and finance issues and how these are framed and contested by different organizations and interest groups as well as state actors. Within a broad institutionalist framework that reflects the tensions between historical university and national legacies on the one hand and regional and global influences on the other, the authors focus on policymaking in Western Europe, Canada, and the US. This is an engaging and creative endeavor, a must-read for scholars and policymakers alike.” Francisco O. Ramirez, Graduate School of Education Stanford University “This is a real achievement that will contribute to the development of research in politics of higher education policy, finance, and economic development. It is timely in an era when higher learning is increasingly salient to national policy, interest groups, and supranational bodies such as the EU. The focus on Canada, the US, and Europe frames a comparative approach to a competitive higher educational policy arena that has not received systematic study." Sheila Slaughter, Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education, University of Georgia “This fills a gaping hole in research on the politics of higher education. In bringing together research perspectives from governance studies with comparative public policy as well as scholars from Europe and Northern America, this volume will serve as an important reference point for a rapidly growing research field. The exceptionally high quality of editorship is documented by the fact that the chapters are convincingly subsumed under five sub-themes. In short: A must-read for any researcher and student interested in understanding the political foundations of higher education.” Marius R. Busemeyer, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Konstanz

This revised edition of the Handbook of Education Politics and Policy presents the latest research and theory on the most important topics within the field of the politics of education. Well-known scholars in the fields of school leadership, politics, policy, law, finance, and educational reform examine the institutional backdrop to our educational system, the political behaviors and cultural influences operating within schools, and the ideological and philosophical positions that frame discussions of educational equity and reform. In its second edition, this comprehensive handbook has been updated to capture recent developments in the politics of education, including Race to the Top and the Common Core State Standards, and to address the changing role politics play in shaping and influencing school policy and reform. Detailed discussions of key topics touch upon important themes in educational politics, helping leaders understand issues of innovation, teacher evaluation, tensions between state and federal lawmakers over new reforms and testing, and how to increase student achievement. Chapter authors also provide suggestions for improving the political behaviors of key educational groups and individuals with the hope that an understanding of political goals, governance processes, and policy outcomes may contribute to ongoing school reform.

The federal bureaucratic role -- The procedural process -- Policy actors' influence -- Strategies and powers of influence -- The role of policy actors' beliefs -- Higher education rulemaking in context -- The use and influence of technology

Winner of the 2017 Mac Jewell Enduring Contribution Award of the APSA′s State Politics and Policy Section. Politics in the American States, Eleventh Edition, brings together the high-caliber research you expect from this trusted text, with comprehensive and comparative analysis of the 50 states. Fully updated for all major developments in the study of state-level politics, including capturing the results of the 2016 elections, the authors bring insight and uncover the impact of key similarities and differences on the operation of the same basic political systems. Students will appreciate the book’s glossary, the fully up-to-date tables and figures, and the maps showcasing comparative data.

Named one of the best books of 2021 by NPR New York Times Bestseller and a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice pick “Masterly . . .represents an extraordinary achievement: It is comprehensive and detailed without being tedious, practical without being banal, impeccably well judged and unusually rigorous.”—Daniel Markovits, New York Times Book Review “Ron Lieber is a gift.”—Scott Galloway The hugely popular New York Times Your Money columnist and author of the bestselling The Opposite of Spoiled offers a deeply reported and emotionally honest approach to the biggest financial decision families will ever make: what to pay for college—a decision made even more confusing because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sending a teenager to a flagship state university for four years of on-campus living costs more than $100,000 in many parts of the United States. Meanwhile, many families of freshmen attending selective private colleges will spend triple—over $300,000. With the same passion, smarts, and humor that infuse his personal finance column, Ron Lieber offers a much-needed roadmap to help families navigate this difficult and often confusing journey. Lieber begins by explaining who pays what and why and how the financial aid system got so complicated. He also pulls the curtain back on merit aid, an entirely new form of discounting that most colleges now use to compete with peers. While price is essential, value is paramount. So what is worth paying extra for, and how do you know when it exists in abundance at any particular school? Is a small college better than a big one? Who actually does the teaching? Given that every college claims to have reinvented its career center, who should we actually believe? He asks the tough questions of college presidents and financial aid gatekeepers that parents don’t know (or are afraid) to ask and summarizes the research about what matters and what doesn’t. Finally, Lieber calmly walks families through the process of setting financial goals, explaining the system to their children and figuring out the right ways to save, borrow, and bargain for a better deal. The Price You Pay for College gives parents the clarity they need to make informed choices and helps restore the joy and wonder the college experience is supposed to represent.