Technical resources library

Links to important documents, developments, and government/private resources concerning higher education and college savings. (Premium Service members only.)

Higher Education Policy

Links

»NCES College Navigator - National Center of Education Statistics' tool to find and compare information including academic majors, tuition and average financial aid for U.S. colleges and universities.

»National Center for Education Statistics - Located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences, the NCES is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.

»Lumina Foundation for Education - This private, independent foundation disseminates research and publications to help expand access and success in education beyond high school.

»The Institute for Higher Education Policy - The mission of the Institute for Higher Education Policy is to foster access and success in postsecondary education through public policy research and other activities that inform and influence the policymaking process.

Documents & Releases

»Trends in College Pricing 2015 - Annual study from the College Board examining pricing trends at colleges and universities.

»Trends in Student Aid 2015 - Annual study from the College Board with information on the funding available to help students pay for college.

»Toward More Inclusive College Savings Plans - Sample State Legislation - by Terry Lassar, Margaret Clancy, and Sarah McClure, Center for Social Development, Washington University in St. Louis (2010). This report identifies key policy strategies that some states currently use to promote participation for all residents within their direct-sold 529 college savings plan.

»Financial aid in theory and practice - by Andrew Gillen, Center for College Affordability and Productivity (April 2009). This report argues for the elimination of most current financial aid programs (including state appropriations) and for the creation of Super Pell grants.

»Squeeze Play 2009: The Public's Views on College Costs Today - by John Immerwahr and Jean Johnson (2009). This report prepared by Public Agenda for the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education reveals a chipping away of public support for higher education.

»Trends in College Pricing 2008 - Annual study from the College Board examining pricing trends at colleges and universities. Released October 2008.

»Trends in Student Aid 2008 - Annual study from the College Board. Released October 2008.

»Student Financing of Undergraduate Education: 2003-04 - National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education (August 2006). A statistical analysis report with a special analysis of the net price of attendance and federal education tax benefits.

»Americans' views of political bias in the academy and academic freedom - Working Paper, May 22, 2006, Neil Gross and Solon Simmons. AAUP survey shows Americans are most concerned with the high cost of college.

»Inclusion in College Savings Plans: Participation and Saving in Maine's Matching Grant Program - Clancy, M., Han, C-K., Mason, L.R. & Sherraden, M. (2006). CSD Research Report 06-03. St. Louis: Washington University, Center for Social Development. See also Saving for College in Maine's Matching Grant Program: Account Owner Experiences (CSD Research Report 06-04). These reports focus on participants in the NextGen College Investing Plan® Matching Grant Program, an innovation in Maine’s 529 savings plan designed to increase plan participation and post-secondary education savings among low-to-moderate income state-resident families.

»Education Pays 2005 Update - The College Board updates its survey on the higher earnings and other benefits associated with a college degree. The full 2004 publication is available HERE.

»Dreams Detoured: Rising college costs alter plans and threaten futures - By Steve Giegerich, Lumina Foundation Focus Series (Fall 2005). This issue tackles the college cost issue head on, exploring the problem from the varied perspectives of students, administrators and policy-makers.

»Student Aid and Postsecondary Tax Preferences - a report to the Senate Committee on Finance from the General Accounting Office, detailing the use and complexity of Title IV aid and tax incentives for higher education, and recommending further research to determine the effectiveness of these programs. (Report dated July 29, 2005, released August 29, 2005)

»Private Scholarships Count - A Report By the Institute for Higher Education Policy in collaboration with Scholarship America and National Scholarship Providers Association (May 2005). An examination of the role of the private sector in providing scholarships for higher education.

»Lifelong lessons: 'Nontraditional' becomes the norm as adults blaze new trails to college - By Sally Reed, Lumina Foundation Focus Series (Winter 2005). Nontraditional students are becoming the norm in postsecondary institutions around the country as adults seek postsecondary education in growing numbers. Adult programs are now found in diverse types of institutions that are responding to the varied needs of adult students.

»Section 529 Savings Plans, Access to Post-Secondary Education, and Universal Asset Building - by Margaret Clancy, Reid Cramer, and Leslie Parrish. New America Foundation Issue Brief, February 2005. The authors examine the benefits of using state-sponsored 529 plans to improve access to higher education for lower-income families through the use of matching grants and other financial incentives, and offer a set of recommendations.

»Section 529 Savings Plans, Access to Post-Secondary Education, and Universal Asset Building - by Margaret Clancy, Reid Cramer, and Leslie Parrish. New America Foundation Issue Brief, February 2005. The authors examine the benefits of using state-sponsored 529 plans to improve access to higher education for lower-income families through the use of matching grants and other financial incentives, and offer a set of recommendations.

»Education Pays 2004 - College Board publication surveys the higher earnings and other benefits associated with a college degree.

»When Saving Means Losing: Weighing the Benefits of College-savings Plans - by Roberto M. Ifill and Michael S. McPherson, Lumina Foundation New Agenda Series (July 2004). The authors examine the impact of 529 plans on financial aid and college affordability.

»Investing in America's Future - Why Student Aid Pays Off for Society And Individuals - A report from The Institute for Higher Education Policy and Scholarship America (May 2004).

»Tax Policy and Education Policy: Collision or Coordination? - by Susan Dynarski, Faculty Research Working Papers Series, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (February 2004). This paper offers a case study of 529 and Coverdell savings vehicles.

»The Center for Social Development at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University (St. Louis) has studied Section 529 plans in the context of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). Its policy report, "College Savings Plans and Individual Development Accounts: Potential for Partnership," was released in March 2003. December 2003 saw the release of "The Potential for Inclusion in 529 Savings Plans: Report on a Survey of States." In February 2004, the CSD released its paper "College Savings Plans: A Platform for Inclusive Saving Policy?".

»Profile of Households Saving for College - Investment Company Institute Research Series (Fall 2003). An extensive investigation into family attitudes and practices regarding saving for college.

»State College Savings and Prepaid Tuition Plans: A Reappraisal and Review - by Michael A. Olivas, Williams B. Bates Distinguished Chair in Law, Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance, University of Houston Law Center. Dr. Olivas spells out, in detail, the major recent developments in 529 plans and his concerns for their future. Published in the Journal of Law & Education, Vol. 32, No. 4 (October, 2003), 475-514.

»Closing the College Participation Gap - By the Education Commission of the States' Center for Community College Policy (October 2003). Explores the need to increase the national college enrollment rate.

»Getting Ready to Pay for College: What Students and Their Parents Know About the Cost of College Tuition and What They Are Doing to Find Out - By the National Center for Education Statistics (September 30, 2003). This report uses data from the 1999 National Household Education Survey.

»Restricted Access - Lumina Foundation Focus (Summer 2003). Discusses the barriers for students who wish to pursue a postsecondary degree.

»The College Cost Crisis - A Congressional Analysis of College Costs and Implications for America's Higher Education System - by Rep. John A. Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Howard P. McKeon (R-CA). September 2003. Highlights disturbing trends in college costs.

»Student Financing of Undergraduate Education: 1999-2000 - By Lutz Berkner, Ali Berker, Kathryn Rooney, Katharin Peter, released by the National Center for Education Statistics in June 2002. This report includes a discussion of the percentage of undergraduates receiving various types of financial aid, the sources of the aid, and the average award amounts in 1999-2000.

»Who would benefit from prepaid college tuition plans? - By Rea S. Hederman, released by The Heritage Foundation in September 1998. This study shows the number of families in each congressional district that may be candidates for a prepaid tuition plan.

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» Official Tax Sources
» Industry & Regulatory
» 529 Analysis, Planning & Commentary
» Financial Aid
» Higher Education Policy