The Path to Prosperity: A Policy of Investment

Creating a talented workforce is a key strategy in gaining a competitive advantage for regional economies in the United States and abroad.  With heightened competition for public resources, an invigorated federal-state effort investing in human capital-building enterprises will increase states' capacity while enhancing personal and societal prosperity.

With intense competition at the forefront of the global knowledge-based economy, the United States must embrace a strategy of building a skilled workforce.  In the New Economy, the flow of capital - in all its forms- coalesces around regions that have high concentrations of talent.  Despite evidence that skilled workers are a vital element of regional economic prosperity, access to and the affordability of quality higher education has eroded.  This is due to reduced investment by states and the federal government, as well as heightened cost pressures of college and university operations. More visibility must be raised of the connection between state and regional workforce capacity and economic and social prosperity, and the cycle of growth that is created by public investment in higher education.

Update on Advanced Placement

As Advanced Placement coursework emerges as an instrument of public policy, educators and policymakers need to understand the facts, to set realistic expectations, and to engage in activities that promote positive outcomes.

Context

When the College Board initiated the Advanced Placement (AP) Program in 1955, its potential as a public policy tool was yet to be imagined. For much of its history, the program focused on academically accomplished high school students who were college-bound. It offered these students the opportunity to earn college credit, be placed in advanced-level college courses, or both—if they could demonstrate sufficient knowledge through AP exams.

Though the basic AP approach has remained the same, societal changes have catapulted the program into the public policy arena. The emergence of a global economy and the rapid pace of technological change have beckoned the need for a far greater number of workers with postsecondary credentials in the United States. Among the most critical variables that contribute to postsecondary success is the completion of a rigorous high school curriculum. Growing concerns about the shortcomings of the nation’s K-12 system have led educators and policymakers to implement a variety of strategies to promote academic rigor and success for all high school students.

Tuition Discounting at AASCU Institutions

As states continue the trend of providing postsecondary institutions with smaller shares of state funds, public colleges and universities are forced to rely more heavily on tuition and fees as a source of revenue. While this trend is well documented, little is know about how colleges use institutional aid to provide tuition “discounts” to certain student populations. In 2006, The College Board published Tuition Discounting: Not Just a Private College Practice that examined the extent to which public colleges are using tuition revenue and institutional aid to offset the cost of attendance for some students. Tuition discounting has important policy implications for public colleges and universities primarily because most of the discounts are awarded to students who do not have critical financial need. Colleges often utilize tuition discounts to attract talented students who will help their institutions improve college rankings, athletic programs, and demographic profiles. This policy brief helps answer some basic questions about the extent to which AASCU institutions engage in tuition discounting and how institutional discounting policy can leverage resources for students with the greatest financial need.

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State Colleges and Universities and the 2006 Elections

Looking ahead from the 2006 elections, higher education will be an important topic in public policy discussions at the federal and state levels. State colleges and universities will need to pay attention as discussions about access, affordability, and accountability play out in the coming year.

Context
With public dissatisfaction of the war in Iraq at an all-time high, Democrats made significant gains in the mid-term elections of 2006. They will control Congress for the first time since 1994 and will occupy the majority of governor's mansions and statehouse seats. High on their domestic agenda are increasing the minimum wage, removing barriers to stem cell research, making college affordable for all, and reforming health care.
It is impossible to predict how successful the Democrats will be in achieving their legislative priorities. Many elected Democrats were middle-of-the-road or conservative candidates, the U.S. Senate is evenly divided, and there is a Republican in the White House. With a divided government for the first time in a dozen years, almost any outcome is possible. State colleges and universities have much at stake and they need to stay informed.

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