College Completion

A new $2 billion federal grant program for community and for-profit colleges is designed to help retrain trade-displaced workers and accomplish some of the goals proposed under the American Graduation Initiative to increase college completion rates. The program will impose strict accountability requirements and compel participants to make academic materials available to the public. (Inside Higher Ed, 01/21/11)

Facing dwindling state dollars and more pressure to graduate students, Texas community colleges may begin steering students who test at the lowest skill levels toward shorter vocational programs or adult basic education before attempting college academics. (San Antonio Express-News, 01/21/11)

Article describes effort by Gates Foundation and HCM Strategists to use student financial aid to provide incentives to help students attain a high-value credential. (Inside Higher Ed, 08/07/12)

Report outlines the current minority-serving institutions landscape - highlighting that together these institutions enroll more than 2.3 million students or close to 14% of all students-as well as features several student success stories. (Institute for Higher Education, January 2012)

Task force report recommends sweeping changes to how community colleges are run. Proposed changes include revamping or tweaking online education, K-12 partnerships, remedial education, tuition pricing, the funding formula and the colleges' governing system, among others.

Commentary from Art Hauptmann on how to change the Pell program

Story on movement toward more customized postsecondary experiences. Unbundling certification, assessment, social and other elements of education

Study by Eric Bettinger and Rachel Baker from Stanford University showing the impact of personalized, executive style coaching to increase college retention.

Documents the size of potential earnings and tax revenues lost to federal and state governments associated with the large number of students who do not graduate from college. (American Institutes of Research, August 2011)

An example of how to unbundle higher education by providing knowledge transfer without the cost of a university.

A framework for reform in higher education. Provides a vision for what higher education should be accountable for and suggests that the federal government play a strong role in that accountability

Story on DIY higher education and a provider tapping into professors at elite institutions

Examines the percentage of middle-skill jobs -- those that require post-high school education and training, but less than a four-year degree -- available in the South. The report also looks at the percentage of job seekers meeting these qualifications. (National Skills Coalition, August 2011)

Masschusetts Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled a plan to unify the state's 15 community colleges and give the board of higher education more oversight of the campuses. The plan also intends to strengthen the role of community colleges in workforce development.

Study examines updated data and confirms that the value of college degrees is increasing. The report also looks at earnings of different occupations and degree levels. Some occupations pay better than others, so less-educated workers can earn more than more-educated workers. (Tony Carnevale, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, August 2011)

Describes the reality that too many college students -- especially at two-year institutions -- won't make it to graduation because of rising tuition costs and ineffective transfer policies. (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, June 2011)

Story in Chronical about online course provider that is providing more competency based assessments and instruction, instead of degrees. Students get portfolio of skills instead

Reports that the rapid growth in the number of students earning credentials at community colleges over the last two decades has outpaced enrollment gains. The total number of degrees and certificates awarded increased by 127% between 1990 and 2010, while enrollment increased by 65%. Credentials earned by Hispanic students increased by 440% compared to enrollment growth of 226%. (AACC, October 2011)

Report finds unemployment for recent college graduates is 8.9%, compared with 22.9% of job-seekers with just a high school education and 31.5% among high school dropouts. Further, college majors that are more closely aligned with particular occupations and industries tend to have lower unemployment rates. (Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, January 2012)

Introduces the latest SREB college completion measures, distinguishes them from graduation rate measures, and reports the first results on time-to-degree and credits-to-degree in the SREB region. The report also provides information on the characteristics of graduates, focusing primarily on their beginning status at the institutions from which they graduated. (SREB, November 2011)