http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus.xml In Focus articles from the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) en-us Tue, 22 May 2012 07:06:27 -0500 info@clasp.org webmaster@clasp.org 40 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0060 Today, CLASP and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) have released a new interactive tool for the nation and all 50 states to calculate the federal, state and personal revenues at stake. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0060 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0059 Last week, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services released a joint letter of support demonstrating their shared commitment to career pathways as a key strategy to improve the number of adults and youth obtaining postsecondary and industry-recognized credentials. CLASP has long supported career pathways as an evidence-backed strategy to expand economic opportunity and access to marketable credentials for low-income workers at all skill levels, and is pleased to see the federal government reinforce the effectiveness of this approach. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0059 Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0058 After July 1, 2012, newly enrolled college students without a high school diploma or secondary school equivalent will no longer be eligible for federal student aid, due to the elimination of the aEURoeAbility to BenefitaEUR? (AtB) options by Congress in December 2011. Two new CLASP resources released this week lay out the facts of the issue and explain why reinstatement of the provision is essential for maintaining access to education and training for low-income, low-skilled students. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0058 Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0057 The House FY 2013 Budget Resolution released by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan makes vague but undeniable threats to the Pell Grant program, proposing to limit funding and further tighten eligibility requirements. The premises for these threats-that Pell is on an unsustainable path and that it increases tuition-are wholly unsupported by the facts, and further cuts to this program are extremely misguided. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0057 Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0056 Despite an organized effort to persuade the city to preserve adult education funding, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board on Tuesday approved a preliminary budget that would decimate one of the nation's largest programs serving adult students. All of the adult schools in the city could be closed and at least 1,800 faculty and staff could lose their jobs if the city fails to find revenue to fill the funding gap before it finalizes the city budget in June. Word of the drastic proposal to eliminate funding sparked a significant grassroots response to save the program, which plays a vital community role by providing adult education (including English language services). During the previous few weeks, the SaveAdultEd Campaign has mobilized thousands of people to voice their support through phone calls, letters, and most recently at a rally during the contentious vote on March 13. Campaign leaders and adult education advocates also participated in a guest blog discussion series, Cut the Excuses Not Education!, hosted by the National Coalition for Literacy leading up to the rally. In spite of these efforts, the board voted to cut funding. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0056 Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0055 The U.S. Census Bureau released five new data reports on Thursday of this week that illustrate the progress we have made toward building a more educated workforce. For the first time, more than 30 percent of U.S. adults over age 25 had a bachelor's degree or higher, a 5 percentage point increase from only a decade ago when just a quarter did. This is a significant milestone as a greater number of jobs in the recovering economy likely will demand at least some education beyond high school. Despite an increasing percentage of higher-educated workers, we have a long way to go in terms of ensuring that the promise of a better future through postsecondary education is available to students of all ages, races and income levels. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0055 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0054 Every year, adult education serves 2 million of our nation's low-skilled adults and helps them get on a path to college or a better job to support their families. And while 2 million students may seem like a lot, the latest data show at least 93 million adults have basic skills deficiencies that could limit their economic and career potential. Yet funding for these critical services is being slashed at almost every level of government. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0054 Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0053 There is good news in President Obama's fiscal year 2013 budget proposal for millions of lower-skilled and low-income Americans who need postsecondary credentials to compete in the job market and support their families. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0053 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0052 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0052 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0051 In last night's State of the Union address, President Obama laid out an ambitious goal to train 2 million American workers with the skills that will lead directly to a job. At a time when 13 million Americans are unemployed and employers are seeking to hire individuals with the right skill sets, this is an important step in the right direction for our economy. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0051 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0050 The Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations bill that Congress recently passed will make it more difficult for the lowest-income students to access postsecondary education and gain the skills and credentials they need to support their families and contribute to the economy. The bill, simply put, is the wrong direction. It reduces funding for Pell Grants and workforce investments, in spite of increasing need. And it fails to protect students' eligibility for student aid, creating educational dead ends for the most vulnerable students. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0050 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0049 As federal lawmakers continue to negotiate the right fix for the nationaEUR(TM)s high unemployment, one state has stepped up and passed a jobs bill that includes provisions to aid low-skill workers by funding subsidized jobs. ConnecticutaEUR(TM)s Act Promoting Economic Growth and Job Creation in the State passed nearly unanimously in both houses of the state Legislature, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed the bipartisan bill into law recently. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0049 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0048 An exciting new opportunity announced by the U.S. Department of Education to "test" the use of Pell Grants for short-term vocational training programs may make it easier for career pathways and similar initiatives to leverage Pell Grant funding. The experiment aims to determine if Pell Grant funding for short-term vocational training programs increases employment rates and/or wages of unemployed or underemployed individuals. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0048 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0047 A bill introduced today would address the ongoing jobs crisis by creating work and educational opportunities for unemployed workers, those who can't qualify for unemployment benefits and other disadvantaged individuals. While the nation has dealt with an unemployment rate hovering around 9 percent or higher since 2009, policymakers cannot allow this to become a new normal. This is the third scaled-down jobs bill based on provisions in the Americans Jobs Act to be introduced in the past month. Two other measures failed to get enough votes to move past debate. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0047 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0046 The trick-or-treaters have come and gone, but chilling days might be ahead for federal programs that help low-income Americans. November includes two important dates on which we could see devastating cuts in these programs, including Pell Grants and workforce funding. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0046 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0045 A draft appropriations bill released by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee on Sept. 29 significantly harms Pell Grant students by slashing $44 billion from the program over 10 years, putting in jeopardy the maximum Pell Grant, and making drastic changes to eligibility. These proposed changes threaten low-income studentsaEUR(TM) ability to access and succeed in higher education. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0045 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0044 As Congress weighs how to fund the government in 2012 and the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction continues its work to cut about $1.2 trillion from the deficit, funding for the Pell Grant program continues to be under threat in two specific ways. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0044 Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0043 To highlight the importance of adult education programs, CLASP and other national organizations are participating in the third annual National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Throughout the week, we will feature programs that help low-skilled adults prepare for postsecondary education, career advancement, and employment in a family-sustaining career. In Illinois, colleges are adopting the adult education aEURoebridge programaEUR? model to serve similarly-skilled students in developmental education. In these programs, students are provided basic skills or English language services that are closely linked with their occupational skills training courses. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0043 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0042 To highlight the importance of adult education programs, CLASP and other national organizations are participating in the third annual National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Throughout the week, we will feature programs that help low-skilled adults prepare for postsecondary education, career advancement, and employment in a family-sustaining career. In Wisconsin, over 40 colleges, as part of the Wisconsin RISE initiative, have developed "career pathway bridge" programs that provide basic skills or English language services jointly with occupational skills training to lower-skilled students. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0042 Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0041 While all workers across the country have experienced near-record levels of unemployment, low-income, low-skilled workers have been hit the hardest. Education remains one of the most significant factors in getting a good job and advancing in the workforce. For workers without a high school diploma, the unemployment rate is 14.3 percent. For their higher-educated peers with a bachelor's degree or more, unemployment is only 4.3 percent. To address this disparity, President Obama's American Jobs Act establishes a $5 billion Pathways Back to Work Fund, which includes support for "integrated education and training"- a promising instructional model that many states and local areas are already using to help adult education students earn meaningful postsecondary credentials. http://www.clasp.org/postsecondary/in_focus?id=0041