Major Survey Finding: University is Really Expensive

By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO, Educational Policy Institute I know it sounds like an Onion piece, but this is the major finding in this week’s release of The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2009 (see the related Chronicle article). Specifically, the Chronicle noted the following: About two-thirds of freshmen said they were either somewhat or very worried about their ability to finance their college … Continue reading Major Survey Finding: University is Really Expensive

The American Higher Education System: May it Rest in Peace

By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO, Educational Policy Institute I’m not sure when it happened, but sometime recently the US Higher Education System passed away, quietly in its sleep, of causes undisclosed to the public. The System, which leaves behind an over-bloated four-year system, an underdeveloped and underskilled two-year system, and an illegitimate proprietary system, had not been well for quite some time. To those … Continue reading The American Higher Education System: May it Rest in Peace

Drowning in Debt?

By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO, Educational Policy Institute Yesterday, the Education Sector released a new analysis of federal financial aid data (National Postsecondary Student Aid System/NPSAS) illustrating trends in loan burden and other statistics over the years. As one might expect, the news, while illuminating, wasn’t particularly “good.” The big conclusions in the analysis are that (1) more students are taking on more debt … Continue reading Drowning in Debt?

From Hydrocarbons to Higher Learning: The Arabian Peninsula’s Education Boom

By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO, Educational Policy Institute Last week, the National Association for Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) unveiled its recommendations for changes to the current federal financial aid system. This comes at the heels of what undeniably will be a sea change in the present system by the Obama Administration. NASFAA has called this offering a National Conversation Initiative, which included town … Continue reading From Hydrocarbons to Higher Learning: The Arabian Peninsula’s Education Boom

$17,000 a Year… Scary as Hell!

By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO of Educational Policy Institute and EPI International My friends and colleagues at The College Board (dot.com, no less), led by the industrious Sandy Baum, released the annual Trends in College Pricing report yesterday. As many of our readers know, I am quite familiar with the Trends reports, having co-directed that series in the late 1990s. In fact, I had dinner … Continue reading $17,000 a Year… Scary as Hell!