Tag: College Access

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2026, College Access, College Affordability, Politics, Research/Policy, Workforce

The Workforce Pell Grant—A Cautionary Tale

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist Last July, Congress passed a budget reconciliation bill that included Workforce Pell, which will provide—for the first time—Pell Grant funding to students who enroll in short-term, workforce-oriented training programs and certifications. These grants will be available to students starting July 1, 2026. Programs must be between 150 and 599 clock hours and last between 8 … Continue reading The Workforce Pell Grant—A Cautionary Tale

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2018, Financial Aid, Politics, Research/Policy, Student Success

The Texas College Dilemma: How Big? How Much?

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute The San Antonio Express-News wrote an opinion yesterday on the expansion of higher education in Texas. Senate Bill 828, which failed earlier this year, would give authority to expand higher education campuses to meet the growth and needs of the state. As noted by the state’s higher education commission, Raymund Paredes, building new facilities … Continue reading The Texas College Dilemma: How Big? How Much?

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2017, Research/Policy, Retention, Student Success

Legislation to Improve Graduation Rates Could Have the Opposite Effect

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Scholar, Educational Policy Institute This is an opinion piece I wrote for the Chronicle Review and published on January 23, 2004. I stumbled upon it the other day and thought it was worth a repost on The Swail Letter. Let me know if you agree, disagree, and whether the same holds true 13 years later. As Congress tackles the reauthorization … Continue reading Legislation to Improve Graduation Rates Could Have the Opposite Effect

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2014, College Access, Student Success

The Song Remains the Same

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute I’m guilty. I did it. I Googled myself. I’m not sure why, but I did. Ego, I guess. It sounds worse that it is, but in the end, I Googled myself. And what I found astonished me. I found a 15-year old video of me speaking at an event in Washington, DC. The date … Continue reading The Song Remains the Same

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2014, College Access, Research/Policy, ROI/College Outcomes, Student Success

A White House Summit on College Opportunity

By Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute This morning, the President and First Lady spoke at the White House Summit on College Opportunity. This was their bully pulpit push to expand postsecondary opportunity, especially to low-income and first-generation students. First Lady Michele Obama spoke about the “limitless capacity” that lies in our young people and reminded us that education is a two-way … Continue reading A White House Summit on College Opportunity

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