Reports & Tools

Democracy Counts 2018: Increased Student and Institutional Engagement (Angela Henderson)

This report contains findings from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), a landmark study of U.S. college and university student voting. Launched in 2013, NSLVE consists of a database of more than 10 million de-identified student records that have been combined with publicly available voting records for each of the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 elections.

Student Debt and the Class of 2018 (Casey Kerins)

A recent report from the Institute for College Access & Success found that student loan debt has increased by two percent in the last year, indicating the growth in student debt is starting to slow. The report also covers student debt by state, a look at debt at for-profit colleges, and policy recommendations to reduce the student debt burden.

Searching for Accountability in Higher Education (Angela Henderson)

This paper provides a brief overview of the current state of federal accountability and the need for change. Additionally, the paper includes a summary of the landscape of state accountability reforms (through funding structures) for public colleges and universities.

Count of Credentials Doubles (Casey Kerins)
A new report from Credential Engine shows that the number of unique credentials has almost doubled since April 2018 - from 334,114 to 738,428. This indicates an expansion of credential types, such as digital badges, including MOOCs and non-academic organizations.

The Students Disappearing Fastest From American Campuses? Middle-Class Ones (Angela Henderson)

This brief examines the decline of middle-class student at colleges and universities and how institutions are responding to the decrease in this student segment.

Policy Watch

California Becomes First State to Allow College Athletes to be Compensated (Casey Kerins)

In this article from U.S. News, California’s Governor signed into law the ability for student athletes to earn compensation from their name, image, and likeness. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has been adamantly opposed to this legislation and has until 2023 to address complications and concerns in order to be in compliance.

These lawsuits Could Change the Stakes for Higher Ed (Angela Henderson)

This site provides an overview of current high-profile legal cases that could have implications for the higher education sector.

Judge Upholds Harvard’s Admissions Policies (Casey Kerins)

Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that Harvard University’s admission policies do not discriminate against Asian American applicants. A key factor in the decision was the “no-victim problem,” where testimony from Asian Americans who felt discriminated against was reportedly lacking.

Bill Would Require Accreditors to Flag Failing Colleges Sooner (Eric Atchison/Angela Henderson)

Bipartisan legislation announced late September in the U.S. House of Representatives (the Stop College Closures Act of 2019), would raise the bar for accreditors in an attempt to prevent college closures and lessen the blow to students when they do occur.

NCES Updates

Reminder to Update Net Price Calculator URL

The Net Price Calculator URL is used by College Scorecard and other websites, and must be updated annually. The URL must go directly to an institution’s Net Price Calculator, not to another landing page. All institutions eligible to provide federal student aid are required under the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 (as amended) to include a Net Price Calculator on their website. For information about this and other consumer information required under HEA, see Information Required to Be Disclosed Under the Higher Education Act of 1965: Suggestions for Dissemination. For assistance, contact the IPEDS Help Desk / 1-877-225-2568.

Profile of Very Low and Low-Income Undergraduates in 2015-16

A new report from NCES profiles demographic and enrollment characteristics, financial aid, and price of attendance of very low- and low-income undergraduates enrolled in U.S. postsecondary institutions in 2015–16. This report uses data from the 2015–16 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:16).

Trends in Pell Grant Receipt and Recipients

A report from NCES looks at Pell Grant recipients, award amount, and demographic characteristics over time and examines the change in demographics from 2003–04 to 2015–16. Data are presented by selected student and enrollment characteristics, such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, dependency status, family income, attendance status, class level, degree program, employment status, parents’ education, and control and level of institution attended.