One of WICHE’s core missions is to provide educators, policymakers, and legislators with the hard data and issues oriented analysis that will help them shape higher education’s future. Here’s a sampling of our recent publications, available in print or online.

POLICY ISSUES

State Grant Aid and Its Effect on Students' College Choices—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.( 471kb download )

Thinking Outside the Box: Policy Strategies for Readiness, Access, and Success, March 2007 —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, ( 353KB download )

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.( 1.19mb download )

Policy Indicators for Higher Education: WICHE States— WICHE’s electronic fact book presents regional as well as stateby- 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. Viewable in PDF or Excel format.

The State Policy Inventory Database Online (SPIDO)— This online database is a joint project between WICHE and the Pathways to College Network. SPIDO provides state and national policymakers, education leaders, practitioners and education consumers with an inventory of state-level policies and resources in key policy domains related to student achievement, access, and success in higher education. The database is searchable by state or by policy issue and generates reports providing state statutes, policies developed by state boards, and links to agencies, resources, and studies. The database is at www.wiche. edu/Policy/SPIDO.

Tuition and Fees in Public Higher Education in the West, 2006-2007: Detailed Tuition and Fees Tables— This report provides detailed information concerning 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 a 10-year average. This publication is available online in PDF format.

Accelerated Learning Options: Moving the Needle on Access and Success— Increasingly popular among state policymakers and practitioners alike, accelerated learning options are often viewed as a promising strategy for making high school curricula more rigorous; improving college preparation; and providing cost savings for states, students, and families. Although these options show promise, there is little evidence-based research confirming that they are effective at accomplishing their stated and implied objectives. Further, as more states turn to them as a way to reach economically disadvantaged and minority students, there is even less information to show that accelerated learning is a wise investment for these students.

This report, funded by Lumina Foundation for Education, examines issues of effectiveness, quality, financing, and availability in an effort to explore whether accelerated learning is a viable strategy for increasing access to and success in postsecondary education among low-income and underrepresented students.

WORKFORCE ISSUES

Workforce Briefs for the WICHE States, 2006— Most states in the West will see a drop in some of their traditionally strong occupations and a boost in a number of others. Higher education will play a major role in their ability to meet the needs of their populations and fill these new jobs, especially in professional fields that require extensive training.

STUDENT EXCHANGE

Student Exchange Programs, Academic Year 2007-2008— An annual accounting of enrollment in and financing of WICHE’s student exchanges at undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. The following brochures detail eligibility, certification, and admission procedures for student exchanges.

Western Undergraduate Exchange, 2008-2009 Handout— Over 140 campuses in 15 states have opened programs to undergraduates from other Western states at significantly reduced tuition levels. Describes the program and lists the participating institutions and the programs available at the reduced tuition rate.

Professional Student Exchange Program, 2008-2010— Information for Western students seeking careers in PSEP’s 10 health care professions. Participating schools and programs are listed, and application and eligibility procedures are explained.

Western Regional Graduate Program, 2008— More than 175 distinctive master’s and doctoral level programs are open at reciprocal resident tuition cost to students from 14 Western states via WRGP.

Newscap reports on WICHE events and higher ed in the West. Available via e-mail Contact Kay Hulstrom at 303-541-0294 or khulstrom@wiche.edu