Paying the price college costs, financial aid, and the betrayal of the American dream

One of the most sustained and vigorous public debates today is about the value and, crucially, the price of college. But an unspoken, outdated assumption underlies all sides of this debate: if a young person works hard enough, they'll be able to get a college degree and be on the path to a good life...

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Main Author: Goldrick-Rab, Sara (Author)
Other Authors: Anderson, Drew M. (Researcher), Kinsley, Peter (Educational policy expert) (Researcher)
Format: Books Print Book
Language:English
Published: Chicago ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2016.
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Summary:One of the most sustained and vigorous public debates today is about the value and, crucially, the price of college. But an unspoken, outdated assumption underlies all sides of this debate: if a young person works hard enough, they'll be able to get a college degree and be on the path to a good life. That's simply not true anymore, says Sara Goldrick-Rab. Quite simply, college is far too expensive for many people today, and the confusing mix of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid leaves countless students without the resources they need to pay for it. Drawing on a study of 3,000 young adults who entered public colleges and universities in Wisconsin in 2008 with the support of federal aid and Pell Grants, Goldrick-Rab reveals the devastating effect of these shortfalls. She believes America can fix this problem. In the final section of the book, Goldrick-Rab offers a range of possible solutions.
Physical Description:373 pages : charts, illustrations ; 24 cm
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (pages [317]-360) and index.
ISBN:9780226404349
022640434X
Author Notes:Sara Goldrick-Rab is coeditor of Reinventing Financial Aid: Charting a New Course to College Affordability and has written on education issues for the New York Times , the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post . She is a recipient of the Early Career Award from the American Educational Research Association and the Atlantic , Slate , and NPR have covered her work. She founded the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, the nation's first research laboratory aimed at making college affordable, and is a noted influence on the development of both federal and state higher education policies. Dr. Goldrick-Rab is professor of higher education policy and sociology at Temple University. Follow her on Twitter @saragoldrickrab.