Thursday, June 27, 2013

Economists Seek National Effort to Increase Selective College Applications, Enrollment by Low-Income Students - Higher Education

Economists Seek National Effort to Increase Selective College Applications, Enrollment by Low-Income Students - Higher Education: In an event on Wednesday organized by the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project, noted Stanford University economist Caroline M. Hoxby unveiled a national proposal aimed at encouraging high-achieving, low-income students to apply to and attend selective colleges. The plan, devised by Hoxby and Dr. Sarah Turner of the University of Virginia, is based on the Expanding College Opportunities (ECO) Project, which was developed by the economists and has demonstrated promising results.

At the National Press Club in downtown Washington, D.C., Hoxby presented research findings on the ECO Project during a forum event billed as “The Economic Imperative of Expanding College Opportunity. Following Hoxby’s presentation and participation in a roundtable discussion, higher education leaders on a second panel, including the heads of the College Board and the ACT testing organizations, expressed support for the ECO Project.