Category: Research/Policy

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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2010, Research/Policy

Higher Education Rankings: Who Cares?

Yesterday, both The Chronicle of Higher Education and InsideHigherEd reported on the new international rankings releases by Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings, the latter which is being released with US News & World Report next week.

Of great opportunity, I was attending the OECD IMHE conference in Paris during the release, and both “papers” quoted colleagues of mine attending the conference. Continue reading Higher Education Rankings: Who Cares?

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2010, Research/Policy, ROI/College Outcomes

PRESSURE: Two Perspectives on Pressure in Higher Education

The Boston Globe published a piece on Monday (thanks to Academica.ca for their reference) on the practice of adding a ‘gap’ year between high school and college. In Europe, many students take a gap year, sometimes through military service, sometimes through travel and other pursuits. But in Canada and the US, there is a push to continue education and get into the workforce. Continue reading PRESSURE: Two Perspectives on Pressure in Higher Education

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2010, Financial Aid, Research/Policy

Beware of Those Pointing Fingers

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International

The higher education rags and blogosphere is filled with talk of the career college sector right now, instigated in part by a set of new rules emanating from the US Department of Education recently. This is reminiscent of the 1992 reauthorization, where Congress and ED went after the for-profit “fly-by-night” colleges. In 1992 and the years preceding the reauthorization, Congress called them “fly-by-night.” This year the term is “bad apples.” Semantics. Continue reading Beware of Those Pointing Fingers

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2009, Research/Policy

The Political Dimension of Education

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute I began my post-Memorial Day morning by turning on my favorite TV show, Morning Joe, with former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough. One of the guests was Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and the subject came to Race to the Top Funds. The US Department of Education is providing over $4 billion in funds to states that … Continue reading The Political Dimension of Education

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