Vol. 19 No. 2 October 2004

Election 2004 Where The Presidential Candidates Stand On Higher Education
Every four years COLLEGE BOUND takes a look at what the presidential candidates say are their positions on higher education in general and college admissions in particular. Here are the positions from the two campaigns.

Senator John Kerry
Make College Affordable for All and Expand Lifelong Learning. "As president, John Kerry will offer a fully refundable College Opportunity Tax credit on up to $4,000 tuition for every year of college and offer aid to states that keep tuitions down." (He will offer $10 billion to states that keep tuition in line with the rate of inflation.) "And he will launch a new effort to ensure that all of our workers can get the technical skills and advanced training they need."

College Opportunity for All. "In America, every young person who works hard ought to have the chance to go to college. Making college affordable is about America's promise-that all people should have the chance to make the most of their abilities. It's also about America's future, since our ability to compete in the economy of tomorrow depends on our ability to secure skills and training today.

"Today, we're not realizing that vision. In the last three years, tuitions have risen by 35 percent, and as a result, some 220,000 young people have been priced out of college. At the same time, many students don't go to college because they don't think it's realistic for them. We can do better."

John Kerry and John Edwards say they have a comprehensive plan. They will:

Offer a College Opportunity Tax Credit on up to $4,000 of Tuition for Four Years of College. "This credit will be fully available to families having trouble with the cost of college and to young people who are paying their way through school. And John Kerry will work with colleges to provide the benefits of the credit at the beginning of each school year, when students need it most."

Simplify the Student Aid Application Process. "Today, there are more questions on an application for a $5,000 student loan than on the application for a $2 million small business loan. John Kerry will simplify the student aid application, allow many students to apply for college on a postcard and make sure students can get information about college earlier in the application process."

Help More Young People Climb the Ladder to College. "For many young people, college is a distant dream. John Kerry and John Edwards believe we should reach out to young people and show them the path to college. Through incentives like GEAR UP, John Kerry will expand tutoring, mentoring and college preparation classes, and he will also help more young people negotiate the college application process."

Help More Young People Finish College. "Only about one-half of Americans who go to college actually graduate. John Kerry will work with high schools and colleges to boost college completion. This means strengthening the high school curriculum, so that more students arrive at college with the skills to succeed. It also means giving parents more information about schools' graduation rates, and rewarding colleges that do an especially good job at ensuring that their students graduate." Kerry believes he can make it possible for one million more students to graduate over the next five years.

Offer National Service Opportunities. "John Kerry will make a new deal with hundreds of thousands of young people: If you will serve America for two years-working in a school, a health center or strengthening America's security-we will make sure you can attend four years of college tuition free."

Pay for College and Service by Requiring the Market, Not the Government, to Set the Interest Rate for Student Loans. "Today, the student loan program effectively guarantees billions in profits to banks at taxpayer expense. Banks receive student payments, government subsidies and a government guarantee against default. Political forces in Congress, not competitive forces in the marketplace, set bank subsidies at rates as high as 9.5 percent. Studies have shown that the rates are substantially greater than banks need to make student loans at a profit.

"John Kerry and John Edwards will overhaul guaranteed student loans to save taxpayers billions, without making students pay one penny more. They will introduce market forces by requiring banks to win student loan contracts by bidding at an auction, getting taxpayers the best deal at the lowest price. Low costs and high-quality service will be rewarded, not political clout. Many government agencies have successfully used auctions in similar situations.

"In addition to other savings, the Kerry-Edwards loan program will:

• Eliminate $12 Billion in Windfall Profits from Changing Interest Rates. "The government guarantees lenders a certain interest rate on student loans, currently 3.4 percent. When student interest payments fall short of this rate, the government makes up the difference. Currently, however, when student payments exceed this rate, lenders get to pocket the extra money. This is a windfall that creates excessive profits for banks. John Kerry and John Edwards will eliminate these windfall profits to save $12 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)."
  
• Eliminate $2 billion in Excess Subsidies on Tax-Exempt Funding. "Some lenders are able to manipulate the Higher Education Act to receive a 9.5 percent interest rate. In 1992, Congress began phasing out these large subsidies given to loans backed by tax-exempt bonds, but their cost continues to rise. John Kerry and John Edwards will end these extra subsidies once and for all, saving $2 billion according to the CBO."
  
• Create the Next Economy Lifelong Learning Initiative. Additionally, John Kerry "will ensure our workers can get the technical skills they need and can use online technologies for advanced training. He will modernize financial aid rules to include online education opportunities and partner with community colleges to develop state-of-the-art online course offerings. He will also support new community college/business collaborations to train workers in key areas of high technology job growth."

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President George W. Bush
"President Bush believes that higher education is the best investment one can make to succeed in life. His proposals ranging from No Child Left Behind to increased Pell Grant funding will help more Americans graduate from high school prepared for college, able to afford postsecondary education and able to acquire the skills needed to compete in a dynamic economy and fill jobs in emerging industries."

Low-Income and Middle-Class Students Don't Pay the Published Tuition Costs. "Up to 98 percent of low-income students and 93 percent of middle-income students attending four-year institutions receive financial aid. This assistance covers 68-75 percent of the cost for low-income students and 50-63 percent of costs for middle-income students. Total student aid averaged about $9,100 in 2002-03. Federal aid made up 73 percent of low-income student assistance. When financial aid is factored in, the net cost of college-what students and their parents actually paid-rose less than 4 percent from 1992-93 to 1999-2000."

President Bush's Policies Are Making College More Affordable for Parents and Students. "The President has adopted a comprehensive strategy to make college affordable for all Americans, particularly low-income and minority students."

• Record Levels of Financial Aid. "Under President Bush's 2005 budget, aid would increase to more than $73 billion-a $4.4 billion (6 percent) increase. Almost 10 million students and parents-426,000 more than when the President took office-would receive support."
  
• $9 Billion in Tax Credits and Deductions for Students. "President Bush is providing even more savings for our nation's college students and their families. For example, students and families will save:
  
• "An estimated $3.5 billion under the HOPE tax credit, which allows up to $1,500 for tuition and fees during the first two years of postsecondary education;
  
• "$2.2 billion under the Lifetime Learning tax credit which allows a credit of $2,000 for undergraduate and graduate tuition and fees;
  
• "$2.6 billion under a new above-the-line deduction of up to $4,000 for higher education expenses; and,
  
• "$780 million in above-the-line deductions for interest paid on postsecondary student loans."
  
• Record Funding for Pell Grants. "Spending on Pell Grants has risen from $8.756 billion in 2001 to $12.863 billion in 2005, an increase of $4.107 billion or 47 percent. In addition, the number of Pell Grant recipients has grown by approximately one million since 2001, while the maximum grant has increased from $3,750 in 2001 to $4,050 in 2005."
  
• New Enhanced Pell Grants. "Under the President's 2005 budget proposal, students would have the opportunity to receive an additional $1,000 per year if they complete the rigorous State Scholars curriculum in high school, enroll in college full-time and are Pell Grant recipients. Approximately 36,000 low-income graduating high school seniors would be eligible for this support."

Increased Financial Aid Has Led to Record Levels of College Enrollment. "A near record 64 percent of 2002-2003 high school graduates attended college including 84 percent of Asian-Americans, 65 percent of whites, 59 percent of Hispanics and 58 percent of African American students. Minority enrollments surged by 122 percent over the past 20 years, up from nearly 2 million in 1980-81 to 4.3 million in 2000-01."

Education Savings Accounts Allow Parents More Flexibility to Save for College. "The rapidly growing Section 529 college savings plan accounts now contain assets of over $35 billion and have an average value of $6,753 per account."

Presidential Math and Science Scholars Fund Helps Low-Income Budding Math and Science Students. "A new public-private partnership to provide 20,000 low-income students would receive up to $5,000 to study math or science in college."

Creation Of A Striving Readers Initiative to provide extra help to middle and high school students who fall behind in reading. The President's FY 2005 budget provides $100 million for the Striving Readers Initiative.

Other Facts on Education during the Bush Administration.

• Elementary and Secondary Education Funding Up 49 Percent. "Spending has risen from $24.745 billion in 2001 to $38.7 billion in 2005, an increase of $12.2 billion, or 49 percent."
  
• The Biggest Education Funding Increase since the Johnson Administration. "Since President Bush took office in 2001, federal spending on elementary, secondary and vocational education has risen by nearly $15 billion. That's the largest gain under any president, and the highest percentage for a single presidential term since 1965-69, when school aid was sharply expanded under President Lyndon B. Johnson."

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THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Explaining "College Affordability"
to Parents
EXPLAINING COLLEGE COSTS TO PARENTS IS A TOUGH TASK. But a new report from a think tank on the subject is making the discussion about the cost of college the talk of the nation.

"The good news is that more high school graduates have taken the courses that prepare them to get to college and succeed," said James B. Hunt Jr., former governor of North Carolina and chair of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, based in San Jose, California. The Center is the author of the report. "We see big gains in high school preparation over the last decade, but the bad news is that these improvements have not been reflected in higher college enrollment or completion rates in most states.

"And for most Americans, college has become less affordable over the last decade," Hunt added. "At a time when we should be encouraging eligible students to attend college, we are making it more difficult for potential students and their families" to afford college. "This is a wake-up call for the nation, the states and our colleges and universities."

MEASURING UP 2004
The report, Measuring Up 2004:The National Report Card on Higher Education, suggests that the national standards movement, and other reforms at the elementary and secondary school level, have produced larger numbers of college-ready students. More high school students are taking rigorous courses, such as upper-level math and science. In many states, however, smaller proportions of students are completing high school and going to college immediately following graduation. Moreover, fewer of those who do enroll in college are completing two- and four-year degree programs in a timely manner than a decade ago.

"At a time of economic and demographic changes that point to a need for more educated Americans, the United States has stalled--and stalled at a level of mediocrity--in higher education opportunity and completion of degrees," said Patrick M. Callan, president of the National Center. "We can no longer attribute all of our college access and quality problems to the failure of public schools. The fact is, high schools have improved over these last ten years and we haven't seen commensurate higher education gains. During this decade, while the United States, which once led the world in all aspects of higher education, has not made gains, other nations have moved ahead in key areas, such as higher education access and baccalaureate degree achievement."

A REPORT CARD ON THE STATES
Measuring Up 2004 evaluates the performance of each state in five areas: preparation for college; participation, completion, affordability and benefits. The report found:

• Many states have made significant progress in preparing students for college-level education. Across the country, more high school students are taking upper-level math and science classes and more are enrolled in Advanced Placement classes. In North Carolina, for example, 59 percent of 9th to 12th graders now take at least one upper-level math course, an increase from 40 percent a decade ago. In Texas, the increase is from 38 percent to 59 percent, in West Virginia from 34 percent to 59 percent.
  
• However, the gains have not been spread equally through the population. In Connecticut, 35 percent of 8th graders scored at proficient levels on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics test, but only 12 percent of low-income 8th graders were proficient.
  
• Less affordable. For most Americans, college is less affordable than it was a decade ago. Tuition has increased faster than the incomes of most American families. In New Jersey, 34 percent of family income is now needed to pay for college expenses at a public four-year campus, an increase from 24 percent a decade ago. Some states (Indiana and Massachusetts, for example) have increased financial aid for low-income students to help pay for higher college costs. But others (Illinois, New Jersey) have reduced these aid programs. Generally, none of the increases in financial aid has kept pace with tuition increases.
  
• Degree completion at four-year colleges and universities remains low. This holds even among top-performing states. Only 64 percent of students enrolling in four-year institutions earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Only 63 percent of community college freshmen return for a second year.
  
• The number of certificates awarded (usually for specific occupational programs) has increased by 50 percent in the last ten years, while there has been only about a 10 percent increase each in the numbers of associate and bachelor's degrees.
  
• College going rate down. In many states, the likelihood of 9th graders completing high school and enrolling in college by age 19 has declined sharply. In New York State, a student's "chance for college" dropped from 45 percent to 34 percent in the last decade. In California, the decline was from 35 percent to 32 percent. In Illinois, the decrease was from 49 percent to 42 percent. Students who graduate from high school and move directly to college are better prepared than they were a decade ago, but many students do not complete high school on time; also, many of those who do graduate from high school do not participate in education or training immediately afterward.
  
• Gaps in college participation between white young adults and ethnic minorities persist. In Massachusetts, the enrollment of white students increased from 38 percent to 40 percent over the last decade, while the enrollment of ethnic minority young adults decreased from 26 percent to 23 percent during the same time. In New Jersey, white enrollment went from 41 percent to 47 percent over the last ten years while the enrollment of ethnic minority young adults declined from 28 percent to 21 percent during the same time.
  
• Gaps in college participation between high- and low-income students have widened. In Pennsylvania, the enrollment of high-income students increased from 46 percent to 57 percent over the last decade while the enrollment of low-income students decreased from 24 percent to 21 percent during the same time. In New Jersey, the enrollment of high-income students increased from 48 percent to 53 percent over the last decade while the enrollment of low-income students declined from 27 percent to 17 percent over the same period.

Excerpted from Measuring Up 2004. Detailed individual state report cards are available on the National Center's Web site: www.highereducation.org.

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TESTING TABS
SAT/ACT Results. College bound students who took the SAT in 2004 improved by just one point on the verbal section to 508. But they scored one point lower on the math section at 518. The average score totaled 1026 out of a possible 1600.

ACT test takers improved by one-tenth of a point to 20.9 out of a possible 36. Despite efforts to upgrade high school curriculum, the ACT reported that only 56 percent of ACT test takers took core academic courses in 2004 in their high schools, versus 61 in 2000. As a result, the ACT said that fewer than half of the college-bound students were ready for college biology and algebra classes. Those who took core courses scored 21.9 on this year's test, versus 19.4 for non-core course takers.

Dual Test-Takers. The August 17 issue of USA Today reported that more East Coast students are taking the ACT to go along with the SAT. The paper quoted Diane Epstein, a private college counselor in Bethesda, Maryland: "Nobody around here ever talked about the ACT five years ago." The number of ACT test takers in seven states along the Eastern Seaboard has doubled in the last five years, and increased by more than 70 percent in New Jersey and Vermont. Rhode Island witnessed a 183 percent jump, while Connecticut witnessed a 167 percent burst.

Richard Shaw, director of admissions at Yale, told the USA Today, "My guess is that we'll see a blitz where kids take the old SAT, the new SAT and the ACT. It's unfortunate that we're driving kids to that kind of distraction." Last year, 15 percent of Yale's applicants took both the SAT and the ACT.

New SAT Critique. The National Center for Fair & Open Testing, the Cambridge, Massachusetts, long-time critic of standardized testing, offered a critique of the "New" SAT in its Spring/Summer 2004 issue of its publication FairTest Examiner: "None of the revisions address the SAT-I's fundamental flaws, such as the test's inaccuracy, bias and susceptibility to coaching" it concluded.

"The overall format and content of the 'new' SAT-I will remain largely unchangedprimarily multiple choice." FairTest said. "The SAT Verbal will be renamed 'Critical Reading' and will include additional short Reading Comprehension passages in place of the much-criticized Analogy items. The math section will contain some Algebra II questionsand the arcane Quantitative Comparison items will be removed."

The new writing section will be "modeled after the current SATII: Writing Test" it will include 35 minutes of multiple-choice, copy editing questions and one short essay to be handwritten within a 25-minute time block."

"Each section will still be graded on a 200 to 800 point scale, so the addition of the third section will bump up a 'perfect' SATI score to 2,400. The total test time will rise from 3 hours to 3_ hours. With the exception of the added writing component, the 'new' SAT-I will closely resemble the current test in form and format."

FairTest Examiner concluded that "The test will remain a weak predictor of college grades and bachelor degree attainment."

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ADMISSIONS WATCH
Yale Profile. Yale's new class of 2008, made up of 1,312 students, was selected from 19,682 applicants, the most in the university's history. In fact, the number of 2004 applications was 11 percent higher than in 2003 and 27 percent higher than in 2002! Only 9.9 percent of aspirants were admitted this year.

More than 54 percent of Yale's new first year class are graduates of public high schools and 58 percent are males. Median SAT Verbal score was 750. Median SAT Math score was 740, with the middle 50 percent of scores ranging from 700-780 for both. Yale provided financial aid grants averaging $21,700 to 42 percent of the new class.

Harvard Women. CB reported in April that Harvard had another near record application pool, 19,750. What we just found out is that the once all-male bastion admitted slightly more women than men to its class of '08. Women outnumbered men by 1,016 to 1,013. The new class also set records for the most Asian-Americans, African Americans and Latino students.

Of the applicants, 2,700 scored perfect 800 on their SAT Math test and 2,000 scored a perfect 800 on their SAT Verbal section. And 2,800 were valedictorians of their high school classes.

Purdue's Application. The first man to walk on the moon was a Purdue graduate. Now Purdue U. wants to better understand the path its applicants have walked on their way to college. The Indiana school has added two questions to its application and an optional section that allows students to explain something about themselves that they feel the admissions office should know. Topics could include academic commitment, extracurricular activities, family circumstances or opportunities and experiences, the admissions office announced. Purdue also announced that it will require SAT/ACT writing scores for the fall of 2006 for admission to any of its four campuses.

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NEWS YOU CAN USE
Too Many Dropouts. About 63 percent of all full-time students graduate from four-year colleges and universities within six years, says a new report, A Matter of Degrees: Improving Graduation Rates in Four-Year Colleges and Universities from the Education Trust. However, less than half of African American or Hispanic students fit into that profile. Students who leave early often never finish and are saddled with heavy student aid debt.

The Education Trust urges colleges to take greater care in identifying potential dropouts, working with them to remove barriers to success and change practices which contribute to their leaving school early.

"The data show that some institutional graduation rates are much, much different than others, even when compared to institutions with very similar students," the report noted. Counselors should be aware of these discrepancies as they advise students. The report lauded the effort of several colleges in boosting the graduation rate for its minority students including Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina and the State University of New York at Binghamton.

Top Schools. This year's list of the top 10 universities in the nation as rated by U.S. News and World Report simply shuffles past leaders, with Princeton and Harvard on top, followed by Yale U., the U. of Pennsylvania, Duke, MIT and Stanford tied for fifth place, and then California Institute of Technology, Columbia and Dartmouth College.

Party Schools/Study Schools. Meanwhile, the Princeton Review has issued its dreaded "party school" list. This year, the State University of New York at Albany ranked first, followed by Washington and Lee U., the University of Wisconsin-Madison, West Virginia U., and Ohio U.

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COLLEGE BOUND's Publisher/Editor: R. Craig Sautter, DePaul University; Chief Operating Officer: Sally Reed; Contributor: Marc Davis; Circulation: Irma Gonzalez-Hider; Illustration: Louis Coronel; Board of Advisors: Rosita Fernandez-Rojo, Choate-Rosemary Hall; Claire D. Friedlander, Bedford (N.Y.) Central School District; Howard Greene, author, The Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning Series; Frank C. Leana, Ph.D., educational counselor; Virginia Vogel, Educational Guidance Services; M. Fredric Volkmann, Washington University in St. Louis, Mary Ann Willis, Bayside Academy (Daphne, Ala.).

In This Issue

Feature Articles
Election 2004 Where The Presidential Candidates Stand On Higher Education

COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Explaining "College Affordability" to Parents

TESTING TABS
-SAT/ACT Results
-Dual Test-Takers
-New SAT Critique

ADMISSIONS WATCH
-Yale Profile
-Harvard Women
-Purdue's Application

NEWS YOU CAN USE
-Too Many Dropouts
-Top Schools
-Party Schools/Study Schools

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