EducationDynamics Webinar: Strings May Be Attached to New Federal Funding Earmarked for Higher Education
William Hansen and Scott Fleming Say All Sectors of Higher Education May Face Increased Scrutiny to Improve Student Retention and Completion Rates, and Data Reporting Efforts
HOBOKEN, NJ--(Marketwire - June 9, 2009) - Higher education institutions will likely face
increased reporting burdens and mounting pressure to simultaneously
increase enrollment levels while improving graduation or completion rates
as a result of the new Presidential Administration and its proposed
policies. These implications and others were put forth by William Hansen,
former deputy secretary of education, and Scott Fleming, former senior
education policy advisor with the U.S. Senate, during an EducationDynamics
Webinar held on Monday, titled "Now What? Political Implications of the New Administration on
Higher Education."
Providing unprecedented insight into the inner workings of Capitol Hill,
Hansen and Fleming addressed the primary opportunities and challenges that
colleges and universities are facing as a result of the Congressional shift
and new policy proposals.
A prevalent topic of discussion in the Webinar and among higher education
administrators surrounds the proposed Access and Completion Incentive Fund.
Aside from knowing that the five-year, $2.5 billion dollar Fund is intended
to support state efforts to help low-income students persist to graduation
or program completion, "Few details are known other than it is an
entitlement program that will require Congressional action to authorize,"
says Bill Hansen, president and CEO of Chartwell Education Group. "Details
outlining who will control the funds, how the plan will be implemented and
its allowable uses have yet to be determined."
Hansen does predict, however, that policymakers interested in the Access
and Completion Incentive Fund will apply pressure to all higher education
sectors to improve
retention and completion rates in an effort to meet President Barack
Obama's goal for America to once again have the highest proportion of
college graduates in the world. As a result, schools may experience
increased reporting burdens with regard to completion persistence and
graduation rates, and potentially employment rates, as well.
Postsecondary institutions will also feel added pressure due to a more
critical disposition among members of the House of Representatives and the
Senate Committee. According to Scott Fleming, president of Madison
Education Group, Congress is looking at higher education through a stronger
lens, which could lead Congress to:
1. Impose completion and retention requirements;
2. Require negotiated performance rates (similar to the Workforce
Investment Act and the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act); and/or
3. Take further action to address costs and possibly even cap tuition
increases.
Furthermore, Hansen and Fleming expect state data systems to continue as a
prevalent theme in the coming year. Many groups, including the Data Quality
Campaign, are pushing for aggressive expansion of state data systems and
stronger linkages between K-12 and postsecondary systems. While Congress
and the Administration are encouraging state agencies to work together to
aggregate longitudinal data that tracks student progress, the challenge is
that few states have robust postsecondary systems from which to report.
"It may be several years before data systems are complete and sufficiently
populated to affect policy," says Fleming. "Once that happens, data will
almost certainly influence policy decisions and could be used to inform
performance requirements, such as completion rates."
In the days to come, a recording of the Webinar will be available on
EducationDynamics' website at http://www.educationdynamics.com.
Additionally, education professionals will have rare access to Hansen and
Fleming on EducationDynamics' Higher Ed Dialog blog, wherein readers are
invited to pose questions to the speakers and engage in discussion among
peers about the opportunities and challenges associated with the new
Administration.
"Now What? Political Implications of the New Administration on Higher
Education" is the second in a series of the National Dialog on Student Retention Webinars, the first
of which featured Dr. George Kuh, director of the Center for Postsecondary
Research at Indiana University. Future events will feature esteemed experts
who will address retention dynamics specific to the varying facets of
higher education, including for-profit and
not-for-profit institutions interested in recruiting undergraduate or
graduate students to on-campus or online programs.
About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics, a portfolio company of Halyard Capital, is the leading
marketing and information services company dedicated to helping higher
education institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich
and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, and its more than
50 special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider
of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In
addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven
to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition. For more
information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.
Contact Information: Contact:
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