A Comparative Study on Need-Based Aid Policy in Higher Education between U.S. State of Indiana and the Nation of Taiwan

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Bibliographic Details
Title: A Comparative Study on Need-Based Aid Policy in Higher Education between U.S. State of Indiana and the Nation of Taiwan
Language: English
Authors: Lin, Ching-Hui, Hossler, Don
Source: Journal of Student Financial Aid. 2014 44(2).
Availability: National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. 1101 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-785-0453; Fax: 202-785-1487; e-mail: membership@nasfaa.org; Web site: http://www.nasfaa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 24
Publication Date: 2014
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Comparative Analysis, Higher Education, State Aid, Student Financial Aid, Finance Reform, Financial Policy, Need Analysis (Student Financial Aid), Comparative Education, Cross Cultural Studies, Social Justice, Economic Factors, Context Effect, Access to Education, Educational Equity (Finance), Educational Policy, Disadvantaged, Eligibility, Theory Practice Relationship, Foreign Countries, Qualitative Research
Geographic Terms: Indiana, Taiwan
ISSN: 0884-9153
Abstract: The question of how the government can best support access to postsecondary education has become a critical issue for education policymakers around the globe, as the practice of cost sharing for funding postsecondary education has been more widely adopted. In this context, this study explores the approaches to implementing current need-based financial aid policies in higher education in Indiana and Taiwan using G.Z.F. Bereday's (1964) comparative method as the framework. Using a comparative cross-national perspective, the authors explored cost sharing, Rawls' theory of social justice, and the economic principles of horizontal and vertical equity. This review revealed that need-based aid programs in both Indiana and Taiwan were founded on the principle of vertical equity, which aims to equalize educational opportunity for low-income students and minorities. However, the increased popularity of cost sharing and its consequent heavy burden on students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds have made it necessary to reexamine the financial aid systems intended to hold open the door of opportunity for these students. These findings have implications for examining financial aid policy within a global context, as well as asserting the value of cross-national comparisons in postsecondary education. Governments and postsecondary institutions should examine the effects of financial aid systems on college attendance and completion from a longitudinal perspective to allow for a better understanding of the impact of policy changes and to prevent further erosion educational opportunities for students who aspire to a college education.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 60
Entry Date: 2014
Access URL: https://publications.nasfaa.org/jsfa/vol44/iss2/
Accession Number: EJ1045515
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The question of how the government can best support access to postsecondary education has become a critical issue for education policymakers around the globe, as the practice of cost sharing for funding postsecondary education has been more widely adopted. In this context, this study explores the approaches to implementing current need-based financial aid policies in higher education in Indiana and Taiwan using G.Z.F. Bereday's (1964) comparative method as the framework. Using a comparative cross-national perspective, the authors explored cost sharing, Rawls' theory of social justice, and the economic principles of horizontal and vertical equity. This review revealed that need-based aid programs in both Indiana and Taiwan were founded on the principle of vertical equity, which aims to equalize educational opportunity for low-income students and minorities. However, the increased popularity of cost sharing and its consequent heavy burden on students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds have made it necessary to reexamine the financial aid systems intended to hold open the door of opportunity for these students. These findings have implications for examining financial aid policy within a global context, as well as asserting the value of cross-national comparisons in postsecondary education. Governments and postsecondary institutions should examine the effects of financial aid systems on college attendance and completion from a longitudinal perspective to allow for a better understanding of the impact of policy changes and to prevent further erosion educational opportunities for students who aspire to a college education.
ISSN:0884-9153