Category: Retention

2026, admissions, Advising, College Access, College Affordability, Financial Aid, Research/Policy, Retention, ROI/College Outcomes, Student Success, Workforce

Beyond the Earnings Premium: What Provosts/CAOs Need to Know About the New ROI Agenda in Higher Education

The ROI of Higher Education explores the evolving value of college degrees amid rising costs and skepticism. It emphasizes the necessity for institutions to demonstrate educational attainment’s impact on economic and social outcomes. Leaders must prioritize student completion, integrate experiential learning, and align curricula with workforce needs to maintain relevance and value in higher education. Continue reading Beyond the Earnings Premium: What Provosts/CAOs Need to Know About the New ROI Agenda in Higher Education

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2026, Retention, Student Success

The Geometry of Student Success

By Watson Scott Swail, President/CEO & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute In the mid-1990s, I created the Swail Geometric Framework to help higher education practitioners better understand the primary factors that contribute to student attrition and the strategies they can use to address them. Since then, dozens—if not hundreds—of universities have used the model successfully. First published in the ASHE-ERIC/Jossey-Bass volume “Retaining Minority Students in Higher … Continue reading The Geometry of Student Success

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2026, College Access, Retention, Student Success

Two Roads Less Traveled: Rolling the Dice with Educational Opportunity

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute There has been recent talk about TRIO programs and funding issues due to pressures from the Trump Administration. The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) fought hard to retain their funding, which they were able to do successfully (DISCLOSURE: I served as Vice President for Research and founding Executive Director of the Pell Institute at … Continue reading Two Roads Less Traveled: Rolling the Dice with Educational Opportunity

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2021, admissions, College Access, College Affordability, Research/Policy, Retention, Student Success

Does Money Trump Academics? No.

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist I received an email from EAB this morning that proclaimed “Financial pressure is the top reason that students leave college,” complete with a link to how technology can help. Then I paused. I’m not going to say that EAB is wrong on this. Financial pressures, let alone ability to pay, are significant barriers to postsecondary access … Continue reading Does Money Trump Academics? No.

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2020, admissions, Financial Aid, Politics, Research/Policy, Retention

Is This the Time to Right-Size Higher Education?

By Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute Last night, the Senate was unable to pass an $1.8 billion stimulus bill over a variety of issues, some of which are known and some not. Of those we know, included was the Democrats sense that there is not adequate funding to protect and support higher education. A second issue is the level of … Continue reading Is This the Time to Right-Size Higher Education?

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