Every two years, the
National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education releases a report entitled "Measuring Up," which grades states in six categories related to higher education. This year's results were published today and many states are probably wishing they had been graded on a curve. Out of 50 states, only
California received a passing grade in terms of affordability, squeaking by with a C-. Grades were higher in terms of preparation, participation, completion, and benefits, and all states received an incomplete in learning due to insufficient data.
A state's higher education affordability grade was arrived at by considering the following: family ability to pay at
community colleges,
state universities, and 4-year
private colleges (based on percentage of income after financial aid is taken into account); the level of investment in need-based state
financial aid programs (as compared to federal investment in
Pell Grants); the presence of low-cost college options; and the average amount students borrowed per year in
student loans. Failing grades suggest that states are not doing enough to make college affordable for their students, especially those from poor and working class families.
If you're a student, you might be wondering what this means for you. The answer? Many students in most states may find it difficult to pay for college using their family income and state and
federal student financial aid. And since affordability grades are actually lower this year than two years ago, it may be even tougher now to attend college debt-free. Be sure to explore
student financial aid options beyond state and federal programs early, rather than waiting for your award letter and finding you've come up short. You can start by doing a free college
scholarship search right here at Scholarships.com.
Scores in other categories were not nearly as bleak as in affordability. However, even though the majority of states received passing scores in four of the five categories in which grades were given, the distribution looks more like a required high school course than, say, a graduate seminar. Statements that accompany the report further stress that in the center's opinion, states need to improve their contributions to higher education. You can view the
report card for your state on the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education's website. The Chronicle of Higher Education also provides a
chart listing each state's grade in each category.
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