WICHE Publications : Policy Analysis and Research
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Entering a phase of significant uncertainty regarding future funding, College Access Challenge Grant programs must implement strategies to ensure the sustainability of their effective programs. This brief discusses four potential strategies that state programs can employ to increase the likelihood that their programs--which focus on increasing the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education--will continue should funding end as expected in 2015 or possibly sooner.
2013 ~ 4pp. ~ Pub #2A384 ~ PDF ~ 144KB~ DOWNLOAD
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This policy brief summarizes the main findings from WICHE's recently released eighth edition of Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates publication. The brief places changes in the size and racial/ethnic composition of our nation's graduating classes in the context of the college completion agenda and the need for greater educational attainment. It also addresses how these demographic shifts, coupled with fiscal stress, are impacting the practice of enrollment management. It concludes by offering reflections on how policymakers and institutional leaders can respond to these challenges with policies and practices that align with society's rising needs and expectations for higher education.
2013 ~ 8pp. ~ Pub #2A385 ~ PDF ~ 151 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Going the Distance in Adult College Completion: Lessons from the 'Non-traditional No More' Project
From 2008 to 2011, WICHE worked with six states (Arkansas, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, and South Dakota) to improve policies and practices to increase adult degree completion as a way to raise overall state educational attainment levels. With funding from Lumina Foundation, the project, known as Nontraditional No More: Policy Solutions for Adult Learners, identified and eliminated barriers that keep adults with prior college credit from returning to postsecondary education and completing their degrees. By bringing together state and institutional leaders, the project pursued two main objectives: identifying “ready adults,” or those who earned a significant number of prior college credits before leaving postsecondary education without earning a credential; and building a pathway to postsecondary success.
2012 ~ 58pp. ~ Pub #2A379 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 979 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates 8th Edition, December 2012
This 8th edition of WICHE's Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates (click for website) includes data on enrollments and graduates by state and for major racial/ethnic groups covering the period from 2009-10 to 2027-28.
2012 ~ 149pp. ~ Pub #2A366 ~ PDF ~ LINK ~ 3 MB (entire publication)~ DOWNLOAD
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Foreword and Acknowledgments Executive Summary Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Projections of High School Graduates National Trends Elementary and Secondary Enrollments High School Graduates Regional and State Trends Summary Chapter 3 Projections by Race/Ethnicity Components of Change National Trends Regional and State Trends Racial/Ethnic Groups Summary Chapter 4 Sources and Methods Factors Affecting CSRs and Projections Data Sources and Adjustments National, Regional, and Subgroup Projections References Appendices Appendix A. Data Tables Appendix B. Technical Information Births Data Public School Data Notes Nonpublic School Data Notes Online Features State Profiles Download Data Explore Data Supplements to Knocking at the College Door, 8th Edition Demography as Destiny: Policy Considerations in
Enrollment Management (WICHE Policy Insights, April 2013)Methodology Review Report Previous editions of Knocking at the College Door 2008 Request 2003 Request
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New Approaches to the New Normal: Recapping 2012 Higher Education Legislative Activity in the West
While tax revenues in many Western states have improved since FY 2011, the 2012 legislative sessions still experienced what has become the familiar round of funding cuts to higher education, coupled with tuition increases for students. The good news is that the cuts and increases weren’t as severe as in previous years, despite continued aversion to spending by most state legislatures. The bad news is that the loss of stimulus funds and the rising cost of health care, K-12 education, and other public services mean that states still face a tremendous amount of economic pressure. This Policy Insights brief summarizes key themes from the 2012 legislative sessions and highlights some emerging issues to watch in the West.
2012 ~ 8pp. ~ Pub #2A382 ~ PDF ~ 296 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Policy Exchanges: Strategies for Success: Promising Ideas in Adult College Completion
This publication is the first of a series focusing on promising new ideas and innovative practices developed through the Adult College Completion Network. The brief addresses five topics of importance to those working to improve adult college completion.
• Data availability particular to the returning adult population
• Partnerships between employers and higher education institutions
• Communications and marketing campaigns to reach and reengage adults with prior college credit
• Transfer credits
• Prior learning assessment
2012 ~ Pub #2A381 ~ PDF ~ 403 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Tuition and Fees in Public Higher Education in the West, 2012-2013: Detailed Tuition and Fees Tables
This report is the latest update of WICHE's annual report on tuition and mandatory fees at public institutions in WICHE's 15-state region, including an institution-by-institution historical review of tuition changes from year to year, as well as those from one, five, and ten years ago. Beginning with 2010-11 and continuing this year, this report presents published tuition and fees amounts as averages both unweighted and weighted by full-time equivalent enrollments. Unlike unweighted averages, which treat each institution equally no matter how big or small it is, enrollment-weighted averages provide a truer estimate of the published price a typical student faces based on enrollment patterns. Appendix E provides more information regarding enrollment weighting. In addition to the full report, all tuition and fee data tables are available to download in Excel format below.
2012 ~ Pub #2A346I ~ 2.42 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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Table 1 Average Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Institutions in the WICHE Region, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Table 2 Average Undergraduate Tuition and Fees in Constant (2012) Dollars at Public Institutions in the WICHE Region, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Table 3 Resident and Non-Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region: State Averages, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Table 4 Resident and Non-Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Table 5 Resident and Non-Resident Graduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region: State Averages, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Table 6 Resident and Non-Resident Graduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Table 7 Resident In-District/County and Non-Resident Tuition and Fees at Public Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region: State Averages, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Table 8 Resident In-District/County and Non-Resident Tuition and Fees at Public Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Table 9 Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Table 10 Non-Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Table 11 Resident Graduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Table 12 Non-Resident Graduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2007-08, and 2002-03 Appendix G Mandatory Fees at Public Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix H Mandatory Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix I Undergraduate FTE Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix J Graduate FTE Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix K Undergraduate FTE Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region
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WICHE's Policy Analysis and Research unit has released a new Policy Insight covering our most recent survey of published tuition and fees prices in all public institutions in the West in 2011-12. The report summarizes those findings and also addresses related state finance policies including state budget levels and higher education appropriations and state financial aid programs.
CORRECTIONS APPLIED: MARCH 21, 2012
2012 ~ PDF ~ 240 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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The question of whether undocumented students have a right to broad access to higher education is a debate that cuts across party lines and political ideologies, sometimes in unpredictable, rhetorically charged ways. “Undocumented Students in the West,” a new Policy Insights brief from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, examines changing student demographics in the states and how the undocumented population may impact higher education in the years to come. In addition to detailing the characteristics of the undocumented population, the brief provides an overview of the state policy landscape surrounding the issue, including a summary of legislation affecting undocumented students in Western states. The brief further outlines some of the possible implications of either extending or restricting higher education benefits to undocumented students.
2012 ~ PDF ~ 273 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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This report presents information on the West’s progress in improving access to, success in, and financing of higher education. The information is updated annually to monitor change over time and encourage its use as a current tool for informed discussion in policy and education communities, focusing demographics related to Access, Success, and Finance in the West. State-by-state data for Figures 1-15 and three introductory tables are available in Excel file format below.
2011 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ DOWNLOAD
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Download Excel Tables Please note: These files are in .xlsx format
Figure 1 The Education Pipeline Figure 2 Undergraduate Enrollment Among 25-49 Year Olds as a Percent of Population Figure 3 Percentage of Public High School Completers as a Proportion of the Number of 9th Graders Four Years Earlier Figure 4 Share of Full-Time Undergraduate Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity vs Share of Population by Race/Ethnicity, 2000-01 and 2010-11 Figure 5 Share of Bachelor's Degrees Awarded by Race/Ethnicity vs Share of Population by Race/Ethnicity, 1999-2000 and 2009-10 Figure 6 College Participation and Impoverishment, 2009-10 Figure 7 Average Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Two-Year Institutions Figure 8 Ratio of Tuition and Fees to Median Household Income, Public Institutions, 2010-11, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Figure 9 Grant Aid per FTE in Public Institutions, 2004-05 to 2008-09 Figure 10 Need-Based Grant Aid Awarded by State Grant Programs per FTE Figure 11 Percentage of First-Time Full-Time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Students Receiving Federal Grant Aid Figure 12 WUE Total Savings to Families and/or States Figure 13 Total State and Local Appropriations to Higher Education per FTE, Public Institutions, FY 2001 to FY 2009 (Adjusted) Figure 14 Revenues from State and Local Appropriations and Tuition and Fees per FTE, FY 2001 to FY 2010 (Adjusted) Figure 15 State Tax Revenue Per Capita (Adjusted for Inflation)
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The brief discusses promising new ideas and methods that states in WICHE's College Access Challenge Grant (CACG) Network are employing to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enroll and succeed in postsecondary education. The brief focuses on how Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming are utilizing partnerships with other entities, FAFSA completion programs, peer mentoring, and need-based financial aid in implementing their federally-funded CACG programs.
2011 ~ 8pp. ~ Pub #2A378 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 166 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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The Common Core State Standards: Implications for Higher Education in the West
The Common Core State Standards are an unprecedented movement toward common academic standards in K-12 education. They create important challenges and implications for higher education.
2011 ~ 6pp. ~ Pub #399 KB ~ PDF ~ DOWNLOAD
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Tuition and Fees in Public Higher Education in the West, 2011-2012: Detailed Tuition and Fees Tables
This report is the latest update of WICHE's annual report on tuition and mandatory fees at public institutions in WICHE's 15-state region, including an institution-by-institution historical review of tuition changes from year to year, as well as those from one, five, and ten years ago. Beginning with the 2010-11 and continuing this year, this report presents published tuition and fees amounts as averages both unweighted and weighted by full-time equivalent enrollments. Unlike unweighted averages, which treat each institution equally no matter how big or small it is, enrollment-weighted averages provide a truer estimate of the published price a typical student faces based on enrollment patterns. Appendix E provides more information regarding enrollment weighting. In addition to the full report, all tuition and fee data tables are available to download in Excel format below.
2011 ~ 64pp. ~ Pub #2A346H ~ 2.42 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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Download Excel files:
Table 1 Average Tuition and Fees at Public Institutions in the WICHE Region, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Table 2 Average Tuition and Fees in Constant (2011) Dollars at Public Institutions in the WICHE Region, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Table 3 Resident and Non-Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region: State Averages, 2011-12, 2011-12, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Table 4 Resident and Non-Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Table 5 Resident and Non-Resident Graduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region: State Averages, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Table 6 Resident and Non-Resident Graduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Table 7 Resident In-District/County and Non-Resident Tuition and Fees at Public Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region: State Averages, 2011-12, 2011-12, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Table 8 Resident In-District/County and Non-Resident Tuition and Fees at Public Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Table 9 Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification, 2011-12, 2011-12, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Table 10 Non-Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Table 11 Resident Graduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2006-07, and 2001-02 Table 12 Non-Resident Graduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2006-07,and 2001-02 Appendix G Mandatory Fees at Public Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix H Mandatory Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix I Undergraduate FTE Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix J Graduate FTE Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix K Undergraduate FTE Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region
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This report presents information on the West’s progress in improving access to, success in, and financing of higher education. The information is updated annually to monitor change over time and encourage its use as a current tool for informed discussion in policy and education communities, focusing demographics related to Access, Success, and Finance in the West. State-by-state data for Figures 1-15 are available in Excel file format below.
2010 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ DOWNLOAD
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Download Excel Tables Figure 1 The Education Pipeline Figure 2 Undergraduate Enrollment Among 25-49 Year Olds as a Percent of Population Figure 3 Percentage of Public High School Completers as a Proportion of the Number of 9th Graders Four Years Earlier Figure 4 Share of Full-Time Undergraduate Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity vs Share of Population by Race/Ethnicity, 1998-99 and 2008-09 Figure 5 Share of Bachelor's Degrees Awarded by Race/Ethnicity vs Share of Population by Race/Ethnicity, 1997-98 and 2007-08 Figure 6 College Participation and Impoverishment, 2008 Figure 7 Average Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions Figure 8 Ratio of Tuition and Fees to Median Household Income, Public Institutions, 2010-11, 2005-06, and 2000-01 Figure 9 Grant Aid per FTE in Public Institutions, 2004-05 to 2008-09 Figure 10 Need-Based Grant Aid Awarded by State Grant Programs per FTE Figure 11 Percentage of First-Time Full-Time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Students Receiving Federal Grant Aid Figure 12 WUE Total Savings to Families and/or States Figure 13 Total State and Local Appropriations to Higher Education per FTE, Public Institutions, FY 2001 to FY 2009 (Adjusted) Figure 14 Revenues from State and Local Appropriations and Tuition and Fees per FTE, Public Institutions, FY 2001 to FY 2009 (Adjusted) Figure 15 State Tax Revenue Per Capita (Adjusted for Inflation)
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Bringing Adults Back to College: Designing and Implementing a Statewide Concierge Model
A ready adult (or reentry) concierge is a single-point of contact at a college or university who helps returning adult students navigate the application, enrollment, and registration processes and overcome barriers to college success. To better understand the barriers faced by students in the reenrollment process and how the Concierge Model can help potential students reengage and earn a degree, WICHE recently collaborated with the Nevada System of Higher Education to convene a meeting of staff from each of the seven public institutions who serve as the campus concierge. This brief highlights effective strategies of ready adult concierges and provides a framework for those interested in implementing this model.
2010 ~ 8pp. ~ PDF ~ 751 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Higher Education Web Portals: Serving State and Student Transfer Needs
Students need access to web-based resources where they can easily learn about the transfer options available to them—so they can save time and money as they strive to meet their educational goals. This study, conducted by WCET, is one component of the “Best Practices in Statewide Articulation and Transfer Systems” project, funded by Lumina Foundation for Education, and conducted by Hezel Associates and WICHE. This brief will help inform a companion project on college access portals being conducted by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and also funded by Lumina Foundation for Education. Together, the findings from both the WICHE and SREB research will help lay the groundwork for important discussions about the policy landscape around web portals, including their effectiveness and what the future may hold.
2010 ~ 12pp. ~ PDF ~ 588 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Promising Practices in Statewide Articulation and Transfer Systems
A joint publication by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education and Hezel Associates, Promising Practices in Statewide Articulation and Transfer Systems highlights state efforts in statewide articulation and transfer. The publication offers promising practices and policy recommendations, which are the result of a research study that includes a literature review, scan of publicly available information, surveys, and interviews with key higher education officials.
2010 ~ 56pp. ~ Pub #2A373 ~ PDF ~ 670 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Tuition and Fees in Public Higher Education in the West, 2010-2011: Detailed Tuition and Fees Tables
This report is the latest update of WICHE's annual report on tuition and mandatory fees at public institutions in WICHE's 15-state region, including an institution-by-institution historical review of tuition changes from year to year, as well as those from one, five, and ten years ago. In response to feedback from WICHE constituents, this year’s edition incorporates three significant changes: 1) the addition of enrollment-weighted tuition and fee averages by state; 2) the ability to download all data tables in excel format, most notably the tables that show each institutions’ tuition and fees charges; and 3) a reduction in the total number of data tables to eliminate redundancy and streamline the report. Appendix E provides more information regarding enrollment weighting. In addition to the full report, all tuition and fee data tables are available to download in Excel format below.
2010 ~ 64pp. ~ Pub #2A346H ~ PDF ~ 4.75 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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Download Excel files:
Table 1 Average Tuition and Fees at Public Institutions in the WICHE Region 2010-11, 2009-10, 2005-06, 2000-01 Table 2 Average Tuition and Fees in Constant Dollars at Public Institutions in the WICHE Region 2010-11, 2009-10, 2005-06, 2000-01 Table 3 Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region, State Averages Table 4 Resident and Non-Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Table 5 Graduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region, State Averages Table 6 Resident and Non-Resident Graduate Tuition and Fees at Pubic Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Table 7 Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region, State Averages Table 8 Resident In-District_County and Non-Resident In-District_County Tuition and Fees at Public Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Table 9 Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification and State Table 10 Non-Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification and State Table 11 Resident Graduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification and State Table 12 Non-Resident Graduate Tuition and Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region by Carnegie Classification and State Appendix G Mandatory Fees at Public Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix H Mandatory Fees at Public Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix I Undergraduate FTE Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix J Graduate FTE Four-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region Appendix K Undergraduate FTE Two-Year Institutions in the WICHE Region
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2010 ~ 6pp. ~ 315 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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2010 ~ 5pp. ~ 200 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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A Framework for a Multi-state Human Capital Development Data System
This paper presents a framework for how a multi-sector, multi-state data resource might be designed and governed. It is based on discussions and ongoing initiatives across several WICHE states, especially an effort involving the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Hawaii, to develop a prototype multi-state data exchange. Brian Prescott and Peter Ewell wrote A Framework for a Multi-State Human Capital Development Data System describing the results of WICHE and its partners’ work on this topic.
2009 ~ 18pp. ~ PDF ~ 311 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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An Evaluation of Colorado’s College Opportunity Fund and Related Policies
Colorado is the only state in the nation that distributes taxpayer dollars to its public higher education institutions principally (though not exclusively) through a voucher program, known as the College Opportunity Fund (COF). WICHE’s Policy Analysis and Research unit was commissioned by the Colorado Department of Higher Education to conduct an evaluation of the COF and related policies, which was required by its enacting legislation.
2009 ~ 57pp. ~ PDF ~ DOWNLOAD
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Best Practices in Statewide Articulation and Transfer Systems: Research Literature Overview
This literature review is intended to serve as an overview of the studies that are relevant to our research project, which has been supported by Lumina with the purpose of identifying and promulgating best practices in statewide transfer and articulation systems in public higher education
2009 ~ 20pp. ~ PDF ~ 206 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Fostering Collaborative State-Level Education and Workforce Database Development
2009 ~ 8pp. ~ PDF ~ 507 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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2009 ~ 8pp. ~ PDF ~ 134 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Tuition and Fees in Public Higher Education in the West, 2009-2010: Detailed Tuition and Fees Tables
This report is the latest update of WICHE's annual report on tuition and mandatory fees at public institutions in WICHE's 15-state region, including an institution-by-institution historical review of tuition changes from year to year, as well as those from one, five, and ten years ago.
2009 ~ 71pp. ~ Pub #2A346H ~ PDF ~ 1.93~ DOWNLOAD
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This report presents information on the West’s progress in improving access to, success in, and financing of higher education. The information is updated annually to monitor change over time and encourage its use as a current tool for informed discussion in policy and education communities, focusing demographics related to Access, Success, and Finance in the West.
2008 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 339 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Beyond Social Justice The Threat of Inequality to Workforce Development in the Western United States
With support from the Ford Foundation, WICHE focues this report on the states of the West, their ability to educate minorities, and the resulting impact on their workforces and economies.
2008 ~ 32pp. ~ Pub #2A369 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 741 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Specifically designed to reach out to the nation’s state legislators, Getting What You Pay For: Understanding Appropriations, Tuition, and Financial Aid, continues the effort to expand access and success for all students through eight concise policy briefs designed to identify best practices and ensure that every available state dollar works for students, not against them. Each brief is available as a PDF download from the Web site.
2008 ~ Web page ~ LINK
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One of WICHE’s primary activities of the Changing Direction project (funded by Lumina Foundation for Education) was to provide direct technical assistance to states that were seriously considering higher education financing issues in new ways. WICHE chose 14 states for the project and worked closely with each for a two-year period to develop a more comprehensive state policymaking framework and process so that policies related to appropriations, tuition, and financial aid were better aligned, occurred in an environment of collaboration, and supported state goals for higher education. In an effort to chronicle the states’ progress and developments as well as share the lessons learned, this publication offers a compilation of case studies written about the Changing Direction technical assistance states.
2008 ~ 89pp. ~ Pub #2A357 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 980 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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WICHE’s electronic fact book presents regional as well as state-by- state data, with analyses on several fiscal, demographic, economic, and social indicators important to policymakers, educators, and researchers in the West. These indicators are updated periodically as new data become available. Downloadable PDF and Excel files are available from this site.
2008 ~ Web page ~ LINK
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Based on document analysis and 40 interviews with Roundtable participants and other stakeholders across North Dakota, this report assesses the factors that enabled the North Dakota Higher Education Roundtable vision to be sustained for more than seven years, identifies obstacles encountered during the sustainability process, and provides suggestions to help other states build and eventually sustain their own public agenda.
2008 ~ 26pp. ~ Pub #2A370 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 279 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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This paper presents the results of a survey “Academic Collaborations,” which are defined as inter-institutional organizations that share resources to increase institutional capacity for, sharing of, and access to technology-mediated courses and programs. Findings focus on sources of revenue, amount of funding, and effective funding models. U.S., Canadian, and multi-state/province organizations were included in the study
2008 ~ 52pp. ~ Pub #2A366 ~ PDF ~ 1.6 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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Tuition and Fees in Public Higher Education in the West, 2008-2009: Detailed Tuition and Fees Tables
Tuition and required fees at four-year institutions are reported by institution for four categories of students: resident undergraduate, nonresident undergraduate, resident graduate, and nonresident graduate. Tuition and required fees at two-year institutions are reported for resident in-district and nonresident students. Averages are reported for the region and for each of the 15 WICHE states. Also included are comparisons of tuition and fees by Carnegie Classification based on the 2005 Carnegie Classification of Higher Education Institutions. Tuition is defined as the total dollar amount charged to a full-time student for a full academic year, usually two semesters, three quarters, or two trimesters. Required fees include the institutional fees that a majority of full-time students are required to pay in addition to tuition.
2008 ~ 63pp. ~ Pub #2A346G ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 1.2 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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2008 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 315 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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WICHE commissioned this paper to help policy leaders and decision makers understand the impact of selected state financial aid programs on students’ choices – choices of which college to attend, where to attend college, and even whether to attend college at all. As the paper shows, states have created grant-aid programs for a variety of reasons and through a variety of funding sources. Among the most popular and growing forms of state grant-aid programs are those that blend financial need with certain academic benchmarks for students’ high school course of study (to aid academic preparation for college) and benchmarks for continued academic progress in college (to aid in persistence to degree). Through an examination of grant-aid programs in 11 states, this analysis identifies the start date for the programs and describes the qualifications for eligibility, the legislation that established the programs, and the policies and political environments involved in creating them. In addition, the authors discuss programmatic impacts on students’ choices and make several recommendations to states that are considering creating grant-aid programs.
2007 ~ 40pp. ~ Pub #2A363 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 472 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Strategies for Improving Student Success in Postsecondary Education
State and federal policy need to provide greater incentives, both to students and to the institutions that serve them, to enhance the likelihood of student success. In this paper Art Hauptman adds substantially to the body of work that has been supported by Lumina Foundation for Education in WICHE’s Changing Direction project, which has focused on how states can intentionally change finance policies– appropriations, tuition, and financial aid– to expand access to success, particularly for the most at-risk young adults.
2007 ~ 26pp. ~ Pub #2A361 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 1.2 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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The Emerging Policy Triangle: Economic Development, Workforce Development and Education
This report, funded through a grant from the Ford Foundation, seeks to better inform legislators and other key policymakers about the confluence of forces bearing down on higher education and the resulting impacts to state goals and priorities. Using an array of data, the report highlights the ways in which a state’s stock of human capital is depleted and replenished through education, migration, and the aging of the workforce (i.e., retirements). This edition includes profiles for all 50 states and international comparative data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showing how well the United States and its individual states fare in comparison to other countries on measures of educational attainment. These data provide a benchmark for action, given the interrelatedness and heightened competition of an increasingly global economy. In addition, they are sobering evidence that more attention must be paid to how states can better harness the resources of their higher education systems to assure that they remain competitive in the decades to come.
2007 ~ 124pp. ~ Pub #2A364 ~ PDF ~ 1 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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Thinking Outside the Box: Policy Strategies for Readiness, Access, and Success
Too often, when one state engages in successful “outside-the-box” policymaking, other states simply adopt that solution wholesale – as if it were a one-size-fits-all “policy-in-a-box.” This publication describes a number of policy strategies – both inside-the-box and outside-the-box – and discusses how they address various possible policy purposes. Thinking Outside the Box provides a systematic discussion of policy alignment around readiness, access, and success and examines them in the light of four policy tools: finance, regulation, accountability, and governance. This latest publication is supported by Lumina Foundation for Education in WICHE’s Changing Direction project.
2007 ~ 60pp. ~ Pub #2A362 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 354 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Accelerated Learning Options: Moving the Needle on Access and Success
This report was designed to inform members of the policy, education, and research communities about existing state and institutional policies and practices associated with four accelerated learning programs: Advanced Placement (AP), dual/concurrent enrollment, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, and Tech-Prep.
2006 ~ 185pp. ~ Pub #2A358 ~ PDF ~ 2.57 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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Accelerated Learning Options: A Promising Strategy for States
2006 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 195 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Postcards from the Margin: A National Dialogue on Accelerated Learning
This publication reflects on the June 2006 gathering in Atlanta of a diverse group of approximately 250 stakeholders—elected leaders, educators, researchers, and foundation officials for the forum, Accelerated Learning: Shaping Public Policy to Serve Underrepresented Youth, sponsored by Jobs for the Future (JFF) and the WICHE.
2006 ~ 12pp. ~ PDF ~ 423 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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2006 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 138 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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This paper examines how states facing budget shortfalls have implemented cuts in higher education finance and the implications of these changes on access and higher education organization. It reviews the budget shortfalls that have faced a noteworthy group of states over the five fiscal years 2000 through 2004, the subsequent budget cuts that were adopted, and how those budget cuts were distributed across public higher education
2006 ~ 56pp. ~ Pub #2A359 ~ PDF ~ 370 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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2006 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 181 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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What State Policymakers Should Know About Federal Higher Education Policy
2006 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 275 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Presents information on the West’s progress in improving access to, success in, and financing of higher education. The information is updated annually to monitor change over time and encourage its use as a current tool for informed discussion in policy and education communities.
2005 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 225 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Early Commitment Financial Aid Programs: Promises, Practices, and Policies
This paper is intended as a resource for people interested in early commitment programs. It describes existing programs and the various approaches they use. It includes programs mandated by state and federal policies, as well as those sponsored by states and school districts in partnership with private-sector funders. The study identifies practices that appear to work and proposes specific guidelines for state, school district, and other leaders who are interested in starting new early financial aid commitment programs.
2005 ~ 56pp. ~ PDF ~ 1.17 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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2005 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 319 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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State Financial Aid: Policies to Enhance Articulation and Transfer
Articulation and transfer mechanisms have become important in moving students through postsecondary education, beginning with freshman year and continuing through graduation. This report is an examination of how state policies enhance student articulation and transfer and, ultimately, student success. This study was part of WICHE’s project Changing Direction: Integrating Higher Education Financial Aid and Financing Policy, which examined how to structure financial aid and financing policies and practices in order to maximize participation, access, and success for all students and to promote more informed decision making on financial aid and financing issues in higher education.
2005 ~ 20pp. ~ Pub #8A25 ~ PDF ~ 1.4 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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Student Migration: Relief Valve for State Enrollment and Demographic Pressures
2005 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 369 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Tuition and Fees in Higher Education in the West, 2005-2006: Detailed Tuition and Fees Tables
Tuition and fees data in this report were provided by state higher education governing and coordinating boards, and in some cases, individual institutions. Averages are reported for the region and for each of the 15 WICHE states. Also included are comparisons of tuition and fees by Carnegie Classification. Tuition is defined as the total dollar amount charged to a full-time student for a full academic year, usually two semesters, three quarters, or two trimesters. Required fees include the institutional fees that a majority of full-time students are required to pay in addition to tuition.
2005 ~ Pub #2A346D ~ PDF ~ 2 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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2005 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 76 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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2005 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 225 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Linking Tuition and Financial Aid Policy: The Gubernatorial Perspective
This survey of governor’s education policy advisors was commissioned as part of Changing Direction and as a companion piece to a previously published survey, Linking Tuition and Financial Aid Policy: The State Legislative Perspective. These two publications collectively are designed to provide insight into the perspectives of key state policymakers, and this survey specifically is intended to contribute to the existing base of knowledge by examining the perceptions of governors and their advisors about critical decisions and their role in higher education financing policy. Exploring their viewpoint will hopefully lead to better, more informed decisions on these important issues.
2004 ~ 22pp. ~ Pub #2A351 ~ PDF ~ 3.6 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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Serving American Indian Students: Participation in Accelerated Learning Opportunities
This study is designed to address the disparity in access to and participation in academically challenging courses — although the percentage of students from ethnic minority groups participating in AP has risen in recent years, these groups still remain underrepresented. It examines American Indian student participation in AP programs and other accelerated learning opportunities and develops a context for understanding American Indian student access and participation in several Western states.
2004 ~ 36pp. ~ Pub #2A349 ~ PDF ~ 346 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Tuition and Fees in Public Higher Education in the West, 2003-2004: Detailed Tuition and Fees Tables
Since 1980, WICHE has collected tuition and fees data annually from public four-year and two-year institutions in its 15 member states. The data are provided by staff at system offices or at state higher education governing and coordinating board offices. Each year, the staff are asked to provide current tuition and fees data for resident and nonresident undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in public four-year colleges and universities, and for resident and nonresident students in public two-year colleges. In addition, staff are asked to verify and, if necessary, correct previously reported data.
The 2003 survey was mailed to state governing and coordinating board staff in June 2003. Staff were asked to provide tuition and fees data for 2003-2004, and to verify and revise, if necessary, the reported data for 2002-03, 1998-99, and 1993-94. All surveys were returned by October 2003. The survey data were reviewed for possible errors, and problems were discussed with the staff in the appropriate office.
This year's breakdown of institutions by Carnegie Classification used A Classification of Institutions of Higher Education: 2000 Edition (Carnegie Foundation, 2000).2004 ~ 71pp. ~ Pub #2A346B ~ PDF ~ 416 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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2004 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 650 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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This report examines tax structures in the Western states – a special concern of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education – and focuses on revenue adequacy and its relationship to other tax policy goals.
2003 ~ 88pp. ~ Pub #2A349 ~ 1.38 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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2003 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 890 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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2003 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 890 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Informing Public Policy: Financial Aid and Student Persistence
This is one of a series of the Changing Direction documents produced to foster greater understanding of key issues related to establishing stronger alignment of financial aid and financing policies. The primary objective of this report is to shed light on the topic of institutionally and statefunded grants to students attending public higher education institutions. While there has been a fair amount of research conducted on state financial aid, much less is known about how institutional grants are used in public colleges and universities. This study uses data from a nationally representative survey of the U.S. Department of Education to analyze the characteristics of students receiving these grants and whether the awarding of these grants is related to persistence and degree attainment. A secondary objective is to familiarize state and institutional policymakers with the type of data available from the federal government that could be used for conducting their own analyses of student persistence.
2003 ~ 40pp. ~ Pub #8A21 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 2.2 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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Integrating Financial Aid and Financing Policies: Case Studies from Five States
These case studies of Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Missouri, and Oregon were designed to help equip policymakers and higher education leaders from all sectors more effectively address key public policy issues concerning the structuring of financing and financial aid to achieve goals of access to quality higher education. The overarching question the project hoped to address through the case studies and other project activities was: How can policymakers at all levels – most particularly those at the state level – more effectively integrate tuition, financial aid, and appropriations policies in ways that promote student participation and completion? The results of the states’ work are linked back to the overall goals and objectives of the Changing Direction project in an effort to illustrate how the integration of public policies around financing and financial aid might be approached.
2003 ~ 42pp. ~ Pub #8A23 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 2.9 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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2003 ~ 8pp. ~ PDF ~ 890 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Linking Tuition and Financial Aid Policy: The State Legislative Perspective
Realizing the importance of state legislatures in discussions relating to issues on financial aid and financing in higher education, WICHE commissioned the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to create and administer a survey of state legislators to explore linkages between state funding and state student financial aid policy. The survey is part of a major project, Changing Direction: Integrating Higher Education Financial Aid and Financing Policies, supported by Lumina Foundation for Education, that examined how to structure financial aid and financing policies and practices to maximize participation, access, and success for all students. Because state legislators are key players in the education policymaking process, their insights contributed significantly to the overall work of this project.
2003 ~ 21pp. ~ Pub #8A22 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 1 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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Online Advanced Placement Courses: Experiences of Rural and Low-Income High School Students
The purpose of this special study was to examine rural and low-income students’ experiences with online Advanced Placement (AP)
courses. In April and May 2002, 30 students, their mentors and school administrators were interviewed at four rural high schools in two Western states about their experiences with online AP courses.2003 ~ Pub #8A10 ~ PDF ~ DOWNLOAD
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Pathways To and Through College: Linking Policy with Research and Practice
2003 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 756 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Policies in Sync: Appropriations, Financial Aid and Financing for Higher Education
This compilation of four papers is Changing Direction’s initial look into a system comprised of integrated financial aid and financing policies and includes: (1) Financing in Sync: Aligning Fiscal Policy with State Objectives; (2) The Governance Context for State Policies on Appropriations, Tuition, and Financial Aid; (3) Informing the Integration of Tuition, Student Financial Aid, and State Appropriations Policies; and (4) Information Sources for Answering Key Financing and Financial Aid Policy Questions: Current Practice and Future Possibilities. Each paper examines a different aspect—a conceptual framework, governance, data as a tool to integrate policy, and what states need to know to design integrated policies—all of which are critical to this alignment.
2003 ~ 74pp. ~ Pub #8A20 ~ PDF ~ 1.1 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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Registered Nursing Shortages: Public Policy, and Higher Education in the Western States
2003 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 98 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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2003 ~ 4pp. ~ PDF ~ 193 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Tuition and Fees Policies in the Nation's Public Community Colleges
This report briefly examines the circumstances in which community colleges function; broadly reviews the various types of state-level community college tuition and fees policies, and analyzes how those policies relate to the environment in which they are created, including their relationship to state financial aid policies. Finally, the report discusses several issues for policymakers to watch over the next several years as well as policy implications. States vary significantly in terms of the depth and breadth of community college tuition and fees policies, and as a result, this examination focuses on six key areas: (1) State Philosophies and Tuition and Fees Policies; (2) Authority to Set Tuition and Fees; (3) Tuition and Fee Waivers and Scholarships; (4) Residency Requirements; (5) Reciprocity Agreements; and (6) Fee-Specific Policies.
2003 ~ 22pp. ~ Pub #8A24 ~ Printed copies available ~ PDF ~ 1.4 MB~ DOWNLOAD
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In 2001-2002, the Western Consortium provided a unique opportunity to build K-12 and higher education collaboration around accelerated-learning options such as Advanced Placement courses, dual enrollment, and concurrent enrollment. This project was supported through a federal grant from the Advanced Placement Incentive Program.
2002 ~ 6pp. ~ PDF ~ 63 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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Tuition and Fees in Public Higher Education in the West : Detailed Tuition and Fees Tables
Since 1980, WICHE has collected tuition and fees data annually from public four-year and two-year institutions in its 15 member states. The data are provided by staff at system offices or at state higher education governing and coordinating board offices. Each year, the staff are asked to provide current tuition and fees data for resident and nonresident undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in public four-year colleges and universities, and for resident and nonresident students in public two-year colleges. In addition, staff are asked to verify and, if necessary, correct previously reported data.
The 2001 survey was mailed to state governing and coordinating board staff in June 2001. Staff were asked to provide tuition and fees data for 2001-2002, and to verify and revise, if necessary, the reported data for 2000-01, 1996-97, and 1991-92. All surveys were returned by October 2001. The survey data were reviewed for possible errors, and problems were discussed with the staff in the appropriate office. This year's breakdown of institutions by Carnegie Classification used A Classification of Institutions of Higher Education: 1994 edition (Carnegie Foundation, 1994).
2001 ~ 67pp. ~ Pub #2A336A ~ PDF ~ 665 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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WICHE’s Western Policy Exchange, funded in part by the W.K. Kellogg and Ford foundations, supports roundtables and forums that bring policymakers and educational leaders together to discuss a wide range of higher ed topics.
2000 ~ LINK
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Policy in Transition: Working Toward Systemic Change in Higher Education in the West
With a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation for the Western Policy Exchange (WPE) project, WICHE coordinated a public policy decision-making process to examine and shape the public interest in higher education. Policy in Transition summarizes some of the major policy issues confronted by higher education, how the Western states have faced these issues, and what strategies they have used to implement change.
1999 ~ 21pp. ~ Pub #2A326 ~ PDF ~ 297 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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The Western Policy Exchange (WPE) project began in 1996, partially funded by a three-year grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, carrying out a coordinated approach of multistate forums in the 15 state WICHE region as well as individual state specific “state roundtables” in a quest to foster partnerships of educators, policymakers, and state decision makers to advance systemic change/reforms in higher education. In an effort to understand the role, dynamics, and perceived consequences of the state roundtable process, WICHE commissioned case studies of Idaho and South Dakota, since they represent some of the comparative differences among the participants.
1999 ~ 29pp. ~ Pub #2A324 ~ PDF ~ 213 KB~ DOWNLOAD
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This issue of EXCHANGES addresses the policy roundtable experiences of Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Washington during 1997 and 1998.
1999 ~ Web page ~ LINK
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