A thorough critique of the past four decades of higher education assistance programs... A brave attempt to reconcile the progressive zeal for access and the conservative pressure for academic accountability.
Joseph M. Cronin Connection Compelling arguments about how changes in the federal student aid programs since the 1970s have restricted access to higher education because of the tilt towards assisting the middle class.
David R. Smedley Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Administrators Newsletter Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the barriers that keep academically qualified students out of college. Indeed, it will become one of the most widely read and discussed books dealing with college finance. St. John establishes that finances present substantial barriers that keep low-income students out of college, and he fundamentally changes the debate over how those barriers should be overcome.
Michael Mumper Academe Occasionally, a work appears that is nothing less than mandatory reading for those who claim any interest in American higher education. Edward St. John's is one such work.
R.P. Pedersen Community College Week St. John makes a compelling case that the current system of student financial aid is not designed to adequately serve the needs of low-income students, thanks in no small measure to recent educational reforms. His framework for taking academic preparation into account when discussing access makes excellent sense. The overall scope and passionate arguments of the book, though wide-ranging and somewhat complicated, are welcome additions to the policy arena that tends toward the dry and over-simplified.
Greg Dubrow Review of Higher Education With his extensive experience and expertise, Edward St. John offers a significant contribution in our understanding of the role of financial aid policy in accessing higher education over the past decades. Beyond the economics of education, the author discusses financial aid within the context of social responsibility and justice.
Dongbin Kim and Jenny J. Lee Journal of College Student Development