The Only Thing We Have to Fear…

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute Please listen to our podcast version of The Swail Letter. It’s fun.   Fear seems to be ruling the world right now, especially within the United States. The population has bought into fear-mongering, 85 years after Franklin Delano Roosevelt uttered this phrase: “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the … Continue reading The Only Thing We Have to Fear…

Improving College Access and Success

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute There is much talk about increasing college access and success for students in the United States, especially for those populations who are historically underrepresented in higher education, such as low-income, first generation, and minority students. While access rates have increased over the years, we clearly understand that equity has not been achieved and that … Continue reading Improving College Access and Success

A New Plan for Student Debt?

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute Although four years late, House Republicans and Democrats are looking at a potential reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which used to be reauthorized every four years during the 70s, then pushed to six years in the 80s and 90s, and now will likely be 10 years for the last two reauthorizations … Continue reading A New Plan for Student Debt?

The New Dropout Crisis? Not so New

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute The New York Times David Leonhardt, one of the few journalists that I read on a daily basis, published an article this morning on the “new dropout crisis.” The crisis, in this case, is that the national college dropout rate has eclipsed the national high school dropout rate. While I am glad to see … Continue reading The New Dropout Crisis? Not so New

The Nexus of Tuition Discounting and Federal Funding of Higher Education

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute A new study by NACUBO says that half (49.9 percent) of the revenues from tuition and fee charges at private, not-for-profit institutions of higher education are used to discount the sticker price of a college degree at these institutions. The lesson from NACUBO is that students and parents must look at the discounted price—not … Continue reading The Nexus of Tuition Discounting and Federal Funding of Higher Education