When Princeton University announced in 2001 that it would replace all student loans with grants, a chain reaction was set in action, slowly but surely. Students weren’t so much being enticed to choose Princeton—an attractive enough option on its own—as they were being lured away from Princeton’s nearest competitors.
It wasn’t just that Princeton had found [...]
There is a big hubbub right now on an Inside Higher Ed piece by Dennis Jones and Jane Wellman called “Bucking Conventional Wisdom on College Costs.” Judging by the commentary, they have clearly gored a small herd of sacred cows by attempting to debunk the conventional wisdom that budgets will (should) only rise, that spending [...]
A New York Times Op-Ed piece by David Brooks cites Lumina Foundation efforts to track student outcomes as being a key element in education reform. Brooks also cites increases in community college attendance as being a step in the right direction when it comes to restoring our “human capital advantage.”
Lumina Foundation for Education is [...]
Scott Pansky’s story in this week’s Philanthropy Journal makes a strong case for nonprofits to build mindshare as they struggle to raise dollars in an economic recession. Pansky’s point is valid—but it’s not enough.
Last week, we hosted a group of Chicago-area development officers who shared their opinions on the challenges of raising money during [...]
According to a new report from Lumina Foundation for Education, “A Stronger Nation through Education,” returning to a position of global leadership will require the US to increase the proportion of Americans who hold high quality two- and four-year degrees.
A recent Houston Chronicle article includes further commentary from Jamie Merisotis, president of the foundation, on [...]
A recent posting on The Chronicle of Higher Education blogsite worries, “Is it possible that higher education might be the next bubble to burst (pdf)?” Now, I’ve never been one to denigrate hyperbole – believing it, in fact, to be the most outstanding rhetorical device that has ever been employed!!! – but this strikes me [...]
Tight money. Worried parents.
As parents deal with the realities of the economic downturn, they’re taking on a greater role in the college decision-making process.
Lipman Hearne explores how the economic downturn is affecting parents’ level of involvement in one of the largest investments they’ll ever make – their child’s college education. “The Rules Have Changed: How [...]
There is a plethora of news stories emerging right now about colleges – particularly elite schools – and the trouble they’re having making their fall 2009 class. The focus is typically on yield — the percentage of admitted students who enroll at an institution. Why yield? Because this metric has long been considered the bellwether [...]
As The New York Times reported recently, a study performed by Blackbaud Analytics appears to suggest that donors who give online don’t always give online again. Alarming! Especially in the midst of a recession!
But hold on—that sentence is fairly packed with qualifiers. Retaining donors is always hard. Would we be surprised to learn that the [...]
An accelerated integrated marketing(AIM) and enrollment services client, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) made headlines today as one of the beneficiaries of a mystery that is unfolding in the world of college fundraising: During the past few weeks, at least nine universities have received gifts totaling more than $45 million, and the [...]