View in EDS

Higher Education Accountability Policy: A Primer on Recent Proposals and the Challenges to Reform. Research Report

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Higher Education Accountability Policy: A Primer on Recent Proposals and the Challenges to Reform. Research Report
Language: English
Authors: Jason Delisle, Bryan Cook, Elise Colin, Urban Institute, Center on Education Data and Policy
Source: Urban Institute. 2023.
Availability: Urban Institute. 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 202-261-5687; Fax: 202-467-5775; Web site: http://www.urban.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 36
Publication Date: 2023
Sponsoring Agency: Arnold Ventures
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Higher Education, Accountability, Educational Policy, Educational Change, Educational Quality, Quality Assurance, Federal Aid, Federal Programs, Graduation Rate, Educational Finance, Expenditures, Loan Repayment, Policy Formation, Access to Education, Student Financial Aid
Abstract: Rising college prices and student debt, the growth and collapse of online for-profit colleges, and expansions of federal grant, loan, and loan forgiveness policies have increased calls for more accountability in our higher education system. And there is significant consensus among lawmakers that the existing set of quality assurance policies for federal aid programs are not protecting students and taxpayers. But although these conditions have generated many proposals for policies to hold colleges accountable, none have won broad support among lawmakers. To help advance the reform debate, we review and compare recent proposed policies that address accountability and, drawing on interviews we conducted with former congressional staff members and higher education advocates, what factors have prevented policymakers from enacting reforms, and what conditions may be necessary to bring about policy changes. The report reveals that lawmakers, researchers, and advocates have put forth a wide range of reform proposals to strengthen quality assurance rules for federal aid programs. This variety implies that there is considerable disagreement over what reforms are needed and disagreement over the underlying problem. Some proposals focus on graduation rates, while others assess how colleges spend money. The most common approach among the proposals is to judge colleges on how their students fare in repaying their student loans, suggesting a possible place for consensus. The report also shows there are many political and design roadblocks to reform despite broad support for more accountability. The current political environment makes bipartisan policymaking difficult. Additionally, higher education is an open-access and diverse system of institutions, making policymakers reluctant to pass policies that might reduce access, particularly for low-income students and students from underrepresented ethnic and racial groups. Still, the individuals we interviewed all discussed several major design issues that will further frustrate reform efforts, such as whether students who do not receive federal aid should be included in the policies and whether some fields and institutions should be exempt. Regardless, many of the recent reform proposals illustrate the need to improve assurance for aid programs and should ultimately encourage lawmakers to work toward reforms that strengthen our higher education system and federal aid programs.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2023
Accession Number: ED637944
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED637944
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED637944
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Higher Education Accountability Policy: A Primer on Recent Proposals and the Challenges to Reform. Research Report
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jason+Delisle%22">Jason Delisle</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bryan+Cook%22">Bryan Cook</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elise+Colin%22">Elise Colin</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Urban+Institute%2C+Center+on+Education+Data+and+Policy%22">Urban Institute, Center on Education Data and Policy</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Urban+Institute%22"><i>Urban Institute</i></searchLink>. 2023.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Urban Institute. 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 202-261-5687; Fax: 202-467-5775; Web site: http://www.urban.org
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 36
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2023
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: Arnold Ventures
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Accountability%22">Accountability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Quality%22">Educational Quality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Quality+Assurance%22">Quality Assurance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Federal+Aid%22">Federal Aid</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Federal+Programs%22">Federal Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Graduation+Rate%22">Graduation Rate</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Finance%22">Educational Finance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Expenditures%22">Expenditures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Loan+Repayment%22">Loan Repayment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Policy+Formation%22">Policy Formation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Access+to+Education%22">Access to Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Financial+Aid%22">Student Financial Aid</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Rising college prices and student debt, the growth and collapse of online for-profit colleges, and expansions of federal grant, loan, and loan forgiveness policies have increased calls for more accountability in our higher education system. And there is significant consensus among lawmakers that the existing set of quality assurance policies for federal aid programs are not protecting students and taxpayers. But although these conditions have generated many proposals for policies to hold colleges accountable, none have won broad support among lawmakers. To help advance the reform debate, we review and compare recent proposed policies that address accountability and, drawing on interviews we conducted with former congressional staff members and higher education advocates, what factors have prevented policymakers from enacting reforms, and what conditions may be necessary to bring about policy changes. The report reveals that lawmakers, researchers, and advocates have put forth a wide range of reform proposals to strengthen quality assurance rules for federal aid programs. This variety implies that there is considerable disagreement over what reforms are needed and disagreement over the underlying problem. Some proposals focus on graduation rates, while others assess how colleges spend money. The most common approach among the proposals is to judge colleges on how their students fare in repaying their student loans, suggesting a possible place for consensus. The report also shows there are many political and design roadblocks to reform despite broad support for more accountability. The current political environment makes bipartisan policymaking difficult. Additionally, higher education is an open-access and diverse system of institutions, making policymakers reluctant to pass policies that might reduce access, particularly for low-income students and students from underrepresented ethnic and racial groups. Still, the individuals we interviewed all discussed several major design issues that will further frustrate reform efforts, such as whether students who do not receive federal aid should be included in the policies and whether some fields and institutions should be exempt. Regardless, many of the recent reform proposals illustrate the need to improve assurance for aid programs and should ultimately encourage lawmakers to work toward reforms that strengthen our higher education system and federal aid programs.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2023
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED637944
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED637944
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 36
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Higher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Accountability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Quality
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Quality Assurance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Federal Aid
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Federal Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Graduation Rate
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Finance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Expenditures
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Loan Repayment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Policy Formation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Access to Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Financial Aid
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Higher Education Accountability Policy: A Primer on Recent Proposals and the Challenges to Reform. Research Report
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Urban Institute, Center on Education Data and Policy
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jason Delisle
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Bryan Cook
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Elise Colin
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 11
              Type: published
              Y: 2023
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Urban Institute
              Type: main
ResultId 1