Postsecondary Participation and State Policy

Research shows that all sectors of society, across age and racial groups, consider access to higher education as essential to achieving satisfying employment and a better quality of life. Yet there has been surprisingly little public discussion about recent major changes in higher education access and funding and no policy debate about how to respond to Americans’ growing aspirations about college.This book stimulates debate by presenting research about future demand: changing patterns of postsecondary participation and census projections over the next fifteen years, and their implications for resources and funding.The author disaggregates state data, taking into account states’ individual histories, size, age demographics, regional characteristics and priorities, to show the different policy options available. Rather advancing any particular policy, the author aims to stimulate an informed discussion about alternative strategies to meet demand and increase access. What is the college population likely to look like in 2015? What are the projected patterns for traditional and adult students? What factors will influence enrollment in private or public institutions, or two- or four-year colleges? The authors set their analyses in the context of the public and private benefits of higher education. This volume presents multiple scenarios of future enrollment, and state-by-state comparisons, that are vital for setting priorities and determining the implications of increasing access to higher education.