ACCESS TO AND OPPORTUNITY IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION IN THE UNITED-STATES - A REVIEW

This review of the research on access to and persistence in higher edu cation found that the proportions of women, older, and part-time colle ge students have increased dramatically since 1960 and that although e nrollments of African Americans and Latinos have also increased, they slowed in the 1980s, perhaps because of changed financial aid policies . Predictive research on access and persistence indicates the generall y declining importance of socioeconomic advantage, as compared to acad emic ability. Weaker social and academic integration of students withi n their institutions has been used to explain lower rates of college p ersistence; the converse, the generally positive effects of women's an d historically black colleges. Beginning at a community college lessen s a student's chances of attaining a baccalaureate degree. Most forms of financial aid strengthen the persistence of minority students, thou gh loans may not.