Publications About Higher Education

Following is a list of all Education Trust publications arranged from newest to oldest.

If you know the title of a specific publication but cannot find it, type the name in the Search box at the top of this page. To find a publication on a specific topic, go to the Filter Publications box and choose a topic or audience from the drop-down menu. Or you can click on one of the “tags” beneath a publication listed below to view all our publications on that topic.

All Education Trust publications are available as free downloads. Publications marked with an asterisk (*) are available in print. Please contact cfields@edtrust.org for more information.

Lifting the Fog on Inequitable Financial-Aid Policies

At every level, from the federal government to the campus, spending has shifted away from the students who most need support toward those who will attend college no matter what.  This report attempts to “lift the fog” on inequitable financial-aid policies to show how all decision makers can work to make college more affordable for the lowest income students. 

Publication date: 
November 14 2011
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Priced Out: How the Wrong Financial-Aid Policies Hurt Low-Income Students

In “Priced Out: How the Wrong Financial-Aid Policies Hurt Low-Income Students,” The Education Trust demonstrates how much low-income students must stretch to pay for college, even after all sources of grant aid are taken into account.

The report finds that just five of nearly 1,200 four-year colleges and universities have student bodies that are at least 30 percent low-income and offer low-income students a reasonable chance at a bachelor’s degree at a relatively affordable cost.

Publication date: 
June 1 2011

Subprime Opportunity: The Unfulfilled Promise of For-Profit Colleges and Universities*

Three years after the U.S. housing market collapse, our country continues to suffer the effects of misplaced priorities and weak regulation of subprime mortgage lenders. Meanwhile, as Ed Trust’s report “Subprime Opportunity” warns, the most vulnerable Americans are being targeted by yet another set of corporations peddling access to the American dream but delivering little more than crippling debt. This time, it’s underregulated for-profit colleges.

Publication date: 
November 22 2010
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Big Gaps Small Gaps in Serving Hispanic Students

Some Colleges and Universities Do Better Than Others in Graduating Hispanic Students

Publication date: 
August 9 2010

Big Gaps Small Gaps in Serving African-American Students

 

Some Colleges and Universities Do Better Than Others in Graduating African-American Students

We’ve been digging beneath the averages and looking at data from individual institutions in our College Results Online database. We’ve found that some institutions have horrendous graduation-rate gaps between white and black students—well above the national average. And it turns out that other institutions have no gaps at all. Our analysis strongly suggests that what colleges do with and for the students they admit matters a great deal.

Publication date: 
August 9 2010
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Advancing by Degrees*

“Advancing by Degrees” is designed to help college officials monitor and improve graduation rates by providing a framework of on-track indicators that reveal patterns among groups of students—including those who are struggling and need help to graduate. These data, in turn, can help drive changes in policies and practices that can boost the number of college graduates. The Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy produced the report in conjunction with Ed Trust.

Publication date: 
May 6 2010
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College Results Online Brief: Top Gap Closers*

Some public four-year colleges and universities have made good progress in closing graduation-rate gaps.

(Corrected version posted February 16, 2010.)

Publication date: 
January 28 2010
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College Results Online Brief: Top Gainers*

Some public four-year colleges and universities make big improvements in minority graduation rates.

(Corrected version posted February 16, 2010.)

Publication date: 
January 28 2010
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Opportunity Adrift: Our Flagship Universities Are Straying From Their Public Mission*

Public flagship and research universities spend millions of dollars every year to aid wealthy students who don't need it, while providing inadequate support to low-income and minority students who do. Some flagships are stepping up to the challenge and focusing on access and success. An account of their performance and progress appears at the end of this report.

Publication date: 
January 13 2010
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A Guide for Hispanic Parents: How to Help Your Child Prepare for College and Career*

Why your child needs to prepare for college and a career, how to tell if your child’s school has college-ready academic standards, the special hurdles facing Hispanic students, and how parents can be effective advocates for their children.

Publication date: 
January 7 2010
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