Category: College Affordability

2011, College Access, College Affordability, Financial Aid, Research/Policy

The Pell Grant and College Costs: An Impossible Scenario

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International There has been recent consternation on the proposed cuts to the Pell Grant program in the United States. For the uninformed, the Pell Grant is a means-tested grant program which targets low-income students. It is, to be sure, the foundation of the US student financial aid system. All other aid is applied after the … Continue reading The Pell Grant and College Costs: An Impossible Scenario

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2011, College Affordability, Research/Policy

Higher Education: A Right or a Privilege?

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International A few weeks ago, I was featured in a Canadian Press article about McGill University’s privatization of its MBA program. Last year, McGill announced that it would raise its MBA tuition 900 percent, from a little over $3,000 to $29,500 a year. This massive increase has raised the ire of many in Canada, including … Continue reading Higher Education: A Right or a Privilege?

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2010, College Affordability, Research/Policy

The Senator and the Schools

By Watson Scott Swail, CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International Senator Tom Harkin has had a distinguished political career. He is seen as a moderate Democrat who gets along with his Senatorial colleagues and tries to do the nation’s business in a meaningful and tangible manner with decorum. He has been a supporter of college access and success throughout his career. To protect the interest of … Continue reading The Senator and the Schools

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2010, College Affordability, Politics, Research/Policy

Taking it to the Streets: Student Protests and Higher Education Policy

by Watson Scott Swail, CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International This past Wednesday, British higher education students took to the streets of London to decry the Conservative government’s plans to significantly raise tuition fees. It has been reported that the government plans to raise the fees by as much as three times the current price to £9,000, or about $14,000 US/CDN. The protest involved an estimated … Continue reading Taking it to the Streets: Student Protests and Higher Education Policy

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2010, College Access, College Affordability, Financial Aid, Politics, Research/Policy

The DREAM Act and the Party of “No”

It is of better valor to stay outside of the political arguments, and I most often heed that advice. But events of last week are forcing me to reconsider said advice.

Last week, the DREAM Act was voted down in the Senate on a party-line vote. The DREAM Act allows students who are, by birth, illegal immigrants to gain access to in-state tuition and financial aid for college. As well, it allows them to fast-track for citizenship. Continue reading The DREAM Act and the Party of “No”

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