ContactIn 2009, the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) issued a report that provided suggestions on how postsecondary institutions could meet disclosure requirements under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008. This paper was commissioned by NPEC to determine if institutions were implementing the suggestions in its 2009 report. This paper identifies how institutions have implemented the NPEC’s 2009 report suggestions on presenting disclosure requirements. Additionally, this report identifies other resources and tools that could be used by institutions to present disclosure requirements in a consumer-friendly manner.
Several offices within the U.S. Department of Education collect and disseminate data about student financial aid. However, limitations of these data sources may make it difficult for consumers, policymakers, and researchers to gain a complete picture of the sources, types, and amounts of aid going to students at institutions of higher education and the relationship between aid and policy goals such as access and success. This report presents the findings and recommendations of the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) Working Group on Financial Aid Data, which sought to identify potential improvements to the collection and dissemination of federal financial aid data.
This project was conducted to determine the origin of items in the 2011-12 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) survey components. The report was developed to document the sources of current IPEDS data items as background information for interested parties and to provide guidance when NCES, technical review panels, and others are considering potential changes to the IPEDS data collection.
In 1990, Congress enacted the Student Right-to-Know (SRTK) Act which requires colleges and universities to disclose the rate students complete academic programs at postsecondary education institutions. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the U.S. Department of Education developed the Graduation Rate Survey (GRS) to help institutions comply with the SRTK requirements. The purpose of this paper is to present recommendations for reducing complexity and confusion of completing the GRS survey as well as improve the standardization of data. The paper summarizes findings from two activities: deliberations of the NPEC GRS Working Group (with feedback from the full NPEC membership) and an analysis of graduation rate survey perceptions using entries in the Common Dataset listserve.
This report is the output of a National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) Working Group on the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA).The purpose of the document is to help colleges and universities successfully identify and meet their obligation to disclose information as required under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended by the HEOA. It includes suggestions to help institutions make the HEA-required disclosure information more accessible and understandable to consumers and more comparable across institutions. A summary of HEA institutional disclosure requirements and a list of HEA-required disclosures by the required methods of dissemination are also included.
Benchmarks that Define Successful Postsecondary Preparation
This report presents an inventory of potential postsecondary academic preparation benchmarks based on research and feedback from practitioners. The findings suggest that there is a strong relationship between the curriculum taken in high school and postsecondary success. However, the author states that the traditionally perceived college-preparatory core curriculum does not necessarily guarantee postsecondary success. New research indicates that the most effective preparation is a curriculum that exceeds the traditional core curriculum across most subject areas. In light of these findings, the report identifies benchmarks for both minimum and advanced preparation. While academic preparation is the focus of the report, the author also recognizes that other areas including financial literacy and social-cultural awareness affect preparation for college. For a copy of the report please contact Nancy Borkow.
Deciding on Postsecondary Education (NCES 2008-850)
This report examines the data and the information that potential students, (particularly non-traditional aged, minority, and students of low- and moderate- socioeconomic status), use and need in making decisions about postsecondary education. Qualitative data were gathered and analyzed from focus groups and secondary data were collected through research literature. The findings state that more comprehensible information, additional resources, and improved assistance for prospective college students and their families are needed.
Information Center for State Level Indicators
NPEC has provided support to the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) for the development of a web-based tool that presents state, and, in some instances, county postsecondary education indicators. The information is downloadable and easy-to-use. Analysts, policy-makers, and others interested in state-level postsecondary education data analysis will find this tool available on the web, free-of-charge at http://www.higheredinfo.org.
National Symposium on Postsecondary Student Success
In November 2006, NPEC hosted a 3-day national symposium on postsecondary student success in Washington, DC. The purpose of the symposium was to discuss what constitutes success and what factors impact the chances of success for different types of students in different types of postsecondary institutions. NPEC also commissioned papers for the symposium by top researchers in the field of student success, as well as respondent papers from federal, state, and institutional postsecondary decision makers.
(274 KB)State Postsecondary Education Consumer Website Pilot Project
Through this pilot project, NPEC supported three states (Florida, Kentucky, and
Minnesota) in providing better and more easily accessible information for prospective
students and their families, particularly for adults and other underserved populations.
Project outcomes include a new or upgraded user-friendly website for each state.
The audiences for this project are students, parents, high school counselors, educators,
institutions, other states, and other professionals interested in advancing the
information provided to postsecondary education consumers. A Lessons Learned report
will be available early in 2009. You can visit the new state web sites at:
Florida—http://www.facts.org
Kentucky—http://www.knowhow2goky.org/
Minnesota—http://www.iseek.org
