Empowering all women state legislators to effect sound policy

AccessEd Newsletter

AccessED: Volume 5, Number 1: Spring 2009

States Introduce Lifelong Learning Account Legislation
- States Should Create an Incentive for Lifelong Learning
The Impact of Removing the SAT from the Admissions Process
Is Community College the Place for Remedial Education?
Women In Government Announces New Director of Public Policy and Programs
Obama Administration Seeks Increase in Federal Investment in Postsecondary Education
Early College High Schools and Degree Completion

AccessED: Volume 4, Number 4: Winter 2009

Innovations In American Government 2008 Award Winners
- Learn and Earn - North Carolina
- Division of Youth Services - Missouri
- Getting Ready: Keeping Communities Safe - Arizona
Higher Education Conference Call Seminars Continue
Task Force Update
Women In Government’s Higher Education Policy Resource Center Graduate Fellow
The Iron Triangle
New Gates Initiative: $69 Million in Higher Education Grants
Top 10 State Policy Issues for Higher Education in 2009
Online Learning Expected to Increase in Response to Economy
Federal Adult Literacy Study Results

AccessED: Volume 4, Number 3: Fall 2008

Women In Government’s Higher Education Task Force Recommends State Policy Actions to Support Adult Learners
- Prior Learning Assessments (PLAs)
- Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs)
- Recruitment & Retention of Adult Learners
- Collaboration of Stakeholders
- State Financial Aid Policies
Reflections of a Higher Education Task Force Member
National Commission on Adult Literacy Issues Report: 90 Million Americans Unable to Meet Workplace Needs
More Adults Taking and Passing GED Tests: States Find Success in Flexible Preparation Programs

AccessED: Volume 4, Number 2: Summer 2008

States Facing Shortage of Postsecondary Degrees are Struggling to Support Adults Striving to Attend College
The Women’s College of the University of Denver Helps Colorado Educate Working Adults, Minority Students
- A Conversation with Dr. Lynn Gangone, Dean, The Women’s College of the University of Denver
Diplomas Count 2008 Report Finds State-Level P-16 Councils are Increasingly Popular but Often Lack Support, Clear Agendas Necessary for Success
Higher Education Conference Call Seminars Continue
Women in Government Welcomes New Graduate Fellow
Lifelong Learning Accounts May Help Workers Achieve Career and Educational Goals

AccessED: Volume 4, Number 1: Spring 2008

Literacy in Higher Education
Online Learning in Higher Education
Policy Implications Surrounding Adult Learner Issues
A Closer Look at the Nontraditional Student
Kentucky Adult Learning Summit

AccessEd: Volume 3, Number 4: Winter 2008

Spotlight on Community Colleges
Breaking Down the Barriers Through State Legislation
Barriers to Higher Education Access: Challenges Faced by the Working Poor
The Minority Report
PISA Report Involves Nearly 400,000 Students Across 57 Countries
Lumina Foundation to Welcome New CEO and Say Goodbye to Founding President

AccessEd: Volume 3, Number 3: Fall 2007

The Higher Education Act of 1965: Despite Evolution, Goals Remain the Same
Success for State Legislative Initiatives in Higher Education
Career and Technical Education Awareness Grows
2007 SAT Score Data Released by the College Board: SAT Averages by Racial and Ethnic Group
Importance of Alliances in Furthering Higher Education Access and Success

AccessEd: Volume 3, Number 2: Summer 2007

P-20 Focus Escalating in the States
- Florida among States Attempting to Tighten P-20 Standards through Legislation
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Update
Philadelphia’s Project U-Turn Redefines Drop-Out Issues
- DC Forum Addresses Philadelphia’s Dropout Crisis
Making Opportunity Affordable Publishes “Hitting Home”
- Report Covers Access and Competitiveness Issues Facing American Education
Georgia Hires College ‘Coaches:’ Georgia’s Creative Approach Aims to Increase Graduation Rates
Spotlight: Examining Time
- New Studies Examine Length of School Day, Year

AccessEd: Volume 3, Number 1: Spring 2007

Lumina Foundation, American Council on Education, and the Ad Council Launch Unique College Access Campaign: Know How2Go
“STEM” Education Gains Momentum
Smith College Commits to Women in Mathematics
New Study Explores Types of Students who Borrow Private Loans to Fund College Education
Preschool Rocks: Policymakers around the Country are Investing in Preschool: Excerpt from State Legislatures Magazine, National Conference of State Legislatures
International Spotlight: Ireland Invests in Higher Education
Resources on Higher Education

AccessEd: Volume 2, Number 4: Winter 2006

Preparing for College and Work: Michigan Establishes Merit Standard Curriculum
Keeping Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
Innovative Pathways to Meet Non-Traditional Needs
Reauthorized Perkins Act: Better Links Education with Workforce Needs
College Preparation: Supporting Science and Math Students in Kansas High Schools
September Issue Update: Foster Care Coverage Extension

AccessEd: Volume 2, Number 3: Fall 2006

Legislative Highlight: Affordability & Success for Foster Children in Higher Education
Planning for the Future: Early Commitment Financial Aid Programs
Statistics on the Costs of Higher Education
Beyond Access: Improving Persistence in Higher Education for Foster Youth
Creating a College Culture
Update on Task Force Meeting
- The Rising Cost of Higher Education: Keeping Opportunity Affordable
Resources on Costs of Higher Education

AccessEd: Volume 2, Number 2: Summer 2006

Access and Service Delivery of Higher Education: Legislative Highlight
Community Colleges: The Recipe for Success
Community College Statistics
Two-Year Institutions: An Excerpt from the Lumina Foundation Magazine, Focus
Update on State Briefings: Women In Government Holds First Ever State Briefings on Higher Education
Higher Education Policy Resources

AccessEd: Volume 2, Number 1: Spring 2006

Supporting Non-Traditional Students
Model Program: Mount Mary College
Interview with a Non-Traditional Alum
Statistics About Non-Traditional Students
Model Program: Wilson College
Announcements
- WIG Opens Higher Education Info Line
- New Publication on Higher Education and Mental Health on WIG Website
- WIG Held First Annual “Higher Education: Access and Minority Achievement” State Briefing
Higher Education Policy Resources

AccessEd: Volume 1, Number 3: Fall 2005

Access Today, Access Tomorrow
Nebraska’s Minority Scholarship Program
Statistics of Minorities in Higher Education
Model Program: Cleveland Scholarship Programs
College Costs: Making Opportunity Affordable
Higher Education Policy Resources

AccessEd: Volume 1, Number 2: Summer 2005

A Shared Mission for Higher Education
Work First New Jersey and Higher Education
Low-Income Women and Higher Education
Title IX and Its Impact on Higher Education
- Important Events Involving Title IX Issues
Facts: Women and Higher Education
Announcements:
- Higher Education Policy Resource Center Website Launched
- Higher Education Legislative Toolkits Ready for Distribution
Higher Education Policy Resources

AccessEd: Volume 1, Number 1: Spring 2005

Higher Education Access: The State Legislative Role
Women In Government’s Access to Higher Education Policy Research Center: An Overview
The Impact of Higher Education Prep Programs: A Student Perspective
Latinos In Higher Education
Lumina Foundation’s Collision Course: Rising College Costs Threaten America’s Future

Facts & Statistics

The U.S. must produce 64 million degrees between 2005 and 2025 to remain competitive with leading nations and meet labor force needs. At the current degree-awarding rate, a gap of 16 million degrees is anticipated.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that between 2004 and 2014, 24 of the 30 fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. will be filled by people who have a postsecondary education or training credentials…and trends in the workplace suggest that employers’ demand for skilled U.S. workers will continue to grow over time.
In the U.S., more than 59 million people, or 30 percent of the adult population, are untouched by postsecondary education. In 35 states, more then 60 percent of the population does not have an associate's degree or higher.
Between 2005 and 2025, one-third of states are projected to experience no growth or a decline in the number of adults ages 25-44, which increases pressure on these states to increase college participation and completion among other segments of the population.
Tuition is not the biggest expense for working adults seeking postsecondary credentials; the biggest expense is living expenses for themselves, and often their families, while they are in school.
Median earnings for those with some college, but no degree were 18 percent higher than those for high school graduates, and adults with associate degrees earned 29 percent more than high school graduates.
Non-traditional students – for example, those who have delayed enrollment in postsecondary education, work full-time while enrolled, or have dependents other than a spouse – are more likely than traditional students to participate in distance education and to be in programs available entirely through distance education.

AccessEd Newsletter

Facts & Statistics

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