275. Review of College News

Here are some links to today's stories
about college access and success.
by
Joe Rottenborn
Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. Uncle Sam calls out steepest college tuition hikes, by Annalyn Censky - http://t.co/2sDPQi9 via @CNNMoney - "For the first time ever the Department of Education released a list Thursday morning, ranking colleges with the steepest tuition hikes. The report lists the top 5% of schools with the sharpest tuition increases over a three-year period for several categories. By law, the worst offenders will now be required to submit special reports to the government, explaining why costs have gone up so dramatically, and how they plan to address rising prices."

2. Ed Dept today releases website identifying the nation's most expensive colleges - http://collegecost.ed.gov/

3. Naughty and Nice on College Price, by Libby A. Nelson - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/lHtcVN - "The lists on the department's College Affordability and Transparency Center, 54 in all, are detailed, attempting to group institutions with their peers in nine categories (public four-year colleges, private four-year colleges, public two-year colleges and so on). In each category, the department created six lists: the most expensive and least expensive colleges, measured by the sticker price of tuition and fees; the highest and lowest net price (what students actually pay); and the percentage increases in sticker price and net price."

4. Ranking the Online Colleges, by Steve Kolowich - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/mTmY0V -"Brian Kelly, editor of U.S. News, this week sent out a memo to more than 1,000 officials at online colleges and university-based online programs notifying them that, over the next few weeks, the publication would be soliciting data from their institutions with an eye to ranking programs that are delivered at least 80 percent online. The target for release of the inaugural U.S. News online program rankings is mid-October."

5. Costlier Community Colleges, by Derek Quizon - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/jsQaCV - "The report, from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, focuses on community colleges, which the center's officials see as a crucial part of the federal government's plans to increase the number of college graduates in the next decade. According to the report, there are nine states in which more than half of all undergraduate students are at community colleges. Four of those states -- Texas, California, Illinois, and Arizona -- also appear on the list of the 10 states projected to have the most high school graduates over the next decade."

6. Non-Degree Holders' Downbeat Outlook, by Derek Quizon - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/jXda3g - "The report, titled "One Degree of Separation: How Young Americans See Their Chances for Success," is based on a survey of 600 people ages 26 to 34 conducted by Public Agenda. The survey examined young people's attitudes toward education and prosperity. Results show that, compared to their degree-holding peers, young people without college degrees are more likely to be pessimistic about their future. They are skeptical of their ability to pay for college, and most of them don't understand the basics of applying for financial aid."

7. Tuition Comparison Site Begun by Education Department, by Tamar Lewin - http://nyti.ms/kiAa8S"The new lists, required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, show the institutions with the highest and lowest tuitions, the highest and lowest percentage tuition increases over the last two years, and the highest and lowest net price — that is, the actual price full-time students pay, including room and board, after financial aid like grants and scholarships are taken into account."

8. To Raise College-Completion Rates, Deal With Costs and Transfer Policies, Report Suggests, by Jennifer Gonzalez - http://chronicle.com/article/To-Raise-College-Completion/128090/ - "Too many college students won't make it to graduation because of rising tuition costs and ineffective transfer policies, says a new report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.The students most at risk are those who begin their college education at a two-year institution, usually out of financial necessity, says the report."