Affordability and Finance

This report examines the features that distinguish college promise programs from traditional grant aid programs and details the characteristics of promise programs in the 12 Midwestern states. It also summarizes findings from research and identifies key considerations for program development and evaluation.  

This report examines state-funded loan forgiveness and conditional grant programs, designed to alleviate student loan debt and address workforce shortages in high-need fields. These service-contingent programs incentivize graduates to work in targeted occupations or underserved areas in exchange for debt relief.

This report examines out-of-state tuition premiums –the additional amount of tuition and fees for nonresident students - at public four-year institutions in the U.S. Regional approaches to reducing tuition premiums are outlined, and past research on the effects of tuition premiums is summarized.

This report details how Midwestern states allocate funding to public colleges and universities. It also provides an overview of some possible tradeoffs of funding approaches as well as a summary of research on the effects of different funding mechanisms.

This report examines whether levels of state funding for higher education are associated with college graduation rates, particularly among underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. The analysis uses a six-year panel dataset of freshman cohorts at most public four-year institutions in the nation.

This report examines the digital divide – the gap between those who can and cannot access the Internet– among college students during the COVID-19 shift to remote learning. An analysis of institutional efforts and state legislation highlights approaches to bridge the digital divide for students.

Student loans are widely used to help pay the cost of college, and concerns have grown about possible problems stemming from student debt. This report discusses student borrowing over time, differences among demographic groups, and policy initiatives that will help students who need more support.

Grant aid – whether based on financial need, merit, or a combination therein – is the primary form of financial aid awarded by states. This report provides an overview of state grant programs in the Midwest and shows how some policy design features relate to student outcomes.

Interest rates for college student loans constitute one factor affecting students’ ultimate loan burden. This brief examines changes in federal student loan interest rates over time, the wide variation in interest rates for state-sponsored student loans, and interest rates for private student loans.

This report discusses the ongoing escalation of college textbook costs, the benefits and challenges of more affordable options, implementation examples for two key options, and policy recommendations for supporting textbook affordability at scale.

This report examines the root causes of tuition increases in higher education, including rising costs, declining subsidies, and an increased reliance on tuition discounting. Administrative bloat, amenity competition, and grant aid provisions have usually played a limited role in pricing behavior.

This brief analyzes higher education spending relative to personal income, population, and total tax revenue. State trends in state effort are explored, and the empirical research on what impacts state effort is summarized.

This brief begins with a closer look at the defining attributes and prevalence of CSAs across the nation. Then it discusses CSAs potential effects on the education pipeline (early childhood, school years, college years, and post-college years).

This examines various ways that states attempt to limit tuition & fee increases at colleges & universities, including appointing governing board members who oppose tuition increases; campaigns to pressure colleges to slow increases without taking formal legislative action; & explicit tuition caps.

In this brief, the body of research is detailed on the effects of three well-known college promise programs in the Midwest before discussing some of the key questions that policymakers and funders must consider when designing promise programs.

This brief addresses four areas in which state policy makers can learn from practices in other states and from principles of sound public policy design to strengthen their higher education financing systems.