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Full-Text Articles in Education

A Framework For Thinking About Law School Affordability, Sandy Baum, Accesslex Institute Dec 2018

A Framework For Thinking About Law School Affordability, Sandy Baum, Accesslex Institute

Commissioned Research

This research report, authored by Sandy Baum, Ph.D., explores the most constructive ways to think about the affordability of legal education in the context of trends in law school enrollment, prices, debt and employment. However, the report cautions that law school affordability cannot be evaluated through simple metrics; it must be measured by taking into account the lifetime value of the investment. The report was commissioned by AccessLex Institute to add to the public discourse about what makes law schools affordable for students in different circumstances.


The Price Of Graduate And Professional School: How Much Students Pay, Sandy Baum, Patricia Steele Jun 2018

The Price Of Graduate And Professional School: How Much Students Pay, Sandy Baum, Patricia Steele

Commissioned Research

Like tuition and fees for undergraduate students, prices for graduate and professional study have risen rapidly over time. But average published prices tell us little about how much students actually pay. Despite high sticker prices, many students enrolled in research doctoral degree programs pay no tuition and fees because institutional grant aid, fellowships and tuition waivers cover these charges. Master’s degree students and those in professional practice degree programs are much less likely to receive this assistance. In 2011–12, one-third of full-time graduate and professional degree students received grant aid from their institutions. This included 71 percent of research doctoral …


After Graduate And Professional School: How Students Fare In The Labor Market, Sandy Baum, Patricia Steele Feb 2018

After Graduate And Professional School: How Students Fare In The Labor Market, Sandy Baum, Patricia Steele

Commissioned Research

This brief explores employment and earnings outcomes among advanced degree recipients. Examining these outcomes across degree, occupational and demographic categories paints a nuanced picture of the payoffs of graduate and professional education. This information is critical for prospective students and others seeking to assess the value of these degree programs.


Graduate And Professional School Debt: How Much Students Borrow, Sandy Baum, Patricia Steele Jan 2018

Graduate And Professional School Debt: How Much Students Borrow, Sandy Baum, Patricia Steele

Commissioned Research

There is wide variation in how students cover tuition and living expenses while they pursue graduate and professional degrees. Most research doctoral degree students attending public and private nonprofit schools benefit from generous institutional fellowships and assistant ships that cover a significant portion of their expenses. But master’s degree students in all sectors cover most of their expenses with earnings from employment and federal student loans. Borrowing is particularly important for professional degree students, most of whom have neither earnings from employment during the academic year nor grants and fellowships to cover tuition and living expenses while they are enrolled. …


Financing Graduate And Professional Education: How Students Pay, Sandy Baum, Patricia Steele Jan 2018

Financing Graduate And Professional Education: How Students Pay, Sandy Baum, Patricia Steele

Commissioned Research

This brief examines how students finance their graduate and professional education. It summarizes the sources of funds used to cover the tuition and fees universities charge, as well as living expenses. Institutions set a “cost of attendance” (COA) for students, estimating the average budget for one academic year (fall through spring). COA includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and other living expenses, and it establishes the maximum amount students can borrow in federal student loans to attend a particular school. These official budgets serve as the foundation for the discussion that follows about how graduate …


Tuition Discounting Study Of Private Law Schools 2016, Accesslex Institute, National Association Of College And University Business Officers Oct 2017

Tuition Discounting Study Of Private Law Schools 2016, Accesslex Institute, National Association Of College And University Business Officers

Commissioned Research

The 2016 NACUBO/AccessLex Tuition Discounting Study of Private Law Schools was commissioned by AccessLex Institute in part to provide more recent information on tuition discounting practices at law schools, and to measure the effects of discounting on law schools’ finances. The use of institutional grant aid to attract and retain law students has become even more important, as many programs have had to grapple with declines in their numbers of applicants and enrollments. This challenging context has prompted law schools to implement a variety of practices and policies to raise their enrollments, including increasing their financial aid expenditures. The data …


Who Goes To Graduate School And Who Succeeds?, Sandy Baum, Patricia Steele Jan 2017

Who Goes To Graduate School And Who Succeeds?, Sandy Baum, Patricia Steele

Commissioned Research

During the Great Recession, those with college degrees fared much better than those without degrees, but a number of college graduates struggled to find satisfactory employment, leading many to graduate study. The option of seeking an advanced degree has gained momentum in recent decades, and now some observers call the master’s degree the “new bachelor’s degree.” This brief is the first in a series addressing questions about enrollment and success in graduate school, funding of graduate students, the conceptual differences between undergraduate and graduate students, and the data available to address these questions. As participation in graduate programs rises, it …


Loan Counseling For Graduate And Professional Students, Patricia Steele, Chad Anderson Mar 2016

Loan Counseling For Graduate And Professional Students, Patricia Steele, Chad Anderson

Commissioned Research

This report provides an overview of existing literature that examines loan counseling and financial literacy for graduate and professional students, and includes actionable recommendations for stakeholders to better support students in making optimal financial decisions about their loans and other aspects of their personal finances. The report was authored by Patricia Steele, Ph.D., and Chad Anderson with Higher Ed Insight.