Browsing by Author "Asher, Lauren"

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    Adding it all up 2012: Are net price calculators easy to find, use, and compare?
    Cheng, Diane; Asher, Lauren; Abernathy, Pauline; Cochrane, Debbie; Thompson, Jessica (The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS), 2012-10-01)
    Nearly all U.S. colleges were required by law to post net price calculators on their websites by October 29, 2011. In the March 2011 issue brief, Adding It All Up: An Early Look at Net Price Calculators, the Institute for College Access and Success analyzed 16 calculators that were posted before the deadline. In this context, this report takes a more in-depth look at the net price calculators from 50 randomly selected colleges. While the authors found some positive practices that were not evident at the time of the previous report, net price calculators are still not reliably easy for prospective college students and their families to find, use, and compare. The report also provides some recommendation in this regard.
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    Green Lights and Red Tape - Improving Access to Financial Aid at California’s Community Colleges
    Cochrane, Deborah Frankle; Hernández-Gravelle, Hilda; Shireman, Robert; Asher, Lauren; Irons, Edie; Luna De La Rosa, Mari; Bogan, Erin (The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS), 2007-12-01)
    Financial aid can encourage students to enroll in college and increase their odds of academic success. While the California community colleges (CCCs) have very low fees, which are waived for most low-income students, the additional expenses of books, supplies, transportation, housing, food and childcare can create significant financial barriers to attending and staying in school. Federal and state grants, work-study funds, and loans can help community college students cover essential costs and focus on their studies. However, only 34 percent of CCC students apply for these valuable forms of aid, compared to 45 percent of community college students in the rest of the country. The report points out findings and recommendations based on visits to 21 colleges representing a broad cross-section of the CCC system, a review of the most recent available research, and interviews with experts on community colleges, financial aid and related fields. This report focuses on policies and practices that vary widely from college to college and can have a particularly significant effect on students’ access to financial aid.