Higher Ed Roundup: Week of September 22 – September 26

Congress Takes Initial Steps to Prevent Pell Shortfall

Panel Calls for Less Emphasis on SAT for Admissions

Remedial Courses Cost Colleges and Taxpayers $2.3 Billion, a New Report States

Congress Takes Initial Steps to Prevent Pell Shortfall

Congressional appropriators began to take steps this week to dig themselves out of a hole when they included an additional $2.5 billion for Pell Grants as part of a temporary spending measure for the 2009 fiscal year that they are expected to approve before leaving town. As reported in Ed Money Watch, the program is facing a major budget shortfall as a result of an unexpected surge in demand for the grants. The additional money allows Congress to preserve the maximum Pell Grant at this year’s level of $4,731. However, it appears that appropriators will need to dig even deeper in the coming months to make sure that the maximum award remains at its current level for the 2009-10 academic year. In a letter to lawmakers last week, U.S. Education Department budget officials estimated that Congress will need to provide at least $18 billion to cover next year’s Pell funding, which is $4-billion more than Congress has budgeted for this year.

Panel Calls for Less Emphasis on SAT for Admissions

A high-profile commission convened by the National Association for College Admission Counseling released a report this week urging colleges to reduce their reliance on standardized test scores in making admissions decisions. The commission, which was led by Harvard University’s admissions dean William Fitzsimmons, said that neither the SAT nor the ACT exams are tied closely enough to high school curriculum and achievement. In addition, the panel acknowledged that higher-income students have a major advantage over their peers taking the SAT, because they can afford expensive test preparation courses that teach students tricks to get better scores. The panel recommended that colleges take into account more comprehensive exams, such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests, and consider dropping use of the SAT altogether, as Higher Ed Watch has previously recommended, in favor of a greater consideration of high school grades and curriculum rigor.

Remedial Courses Cost Colleges and Taxpayers $2.3 Billion, a New Report States

Nearly four out of five students who are required to take remedial courses in college had a high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher, according to a new report from Strong American Schools, a group advocating more rigorous academic standards in high school. The report, “Diploma to Nowhere,” calculates the cost of remediation, borne by colleges and taxpayers, to be between $2.3 billion and $2.9 billion each year. Overall, the report states, more than one-third of college students take remedial courses. The rates are highest at community colleges, where 43 percent of students take remedial courses.