Changes to Federal Pell Grant Eligibility: The Effect of Policy and Program Changes on College Students at Public Institutions in Kentucky

Data from all 2010-2011 undergraduate students, who received a Pell Grant disbursement at Kentucky’s two-year and four-year public institutions, were used to simulate the eligibility changes to the Pell Grant program in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 and from the termination of year-round Pell. Specifically, these changes: a) the number of semesters a student may receive a full-time Federal Pell Grant award reduced from 18 to 12, b) the income threshold for an automatic zero EFC reduced from $32,000 to$23,000, c) elimination of eligibility for students who would have received less than 10% of the maximum award, d) eligibility achieved based on passing an ability to benefit test or by completing six credit hours of post-secondary education, and e) the termination of year-round Pell affect students at two-year and four-year institutions differently. In general, more students at two-year institutions and racial minorities will be affected greatly by the Pell Grant changes. Opportunities and challenges for financial aid administrators are discussed in light of these changes and their subsequent affects

The collective affiliation of community college, commuter and distance education students : developmental math and dropout.

From 1988 to 2006, between 40% and 60% of all first-time community college students are referred to and enroll in at least one developmental education course; some colleges reported as high as 80 percent (e.g. Attewell, Lavin, Domina, & Levey, 2006; Bers & Smith, 1991; Bettinger & Long, 2005; Boughan & Clagett, 1995; Brawer, 1996). More students begin college less prepared in math than any other developmental area (e.g. ACT, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; Attewell, Lavin, Domina, & Levey, 2006; Bettinger & Long, 2005; Cartnal, 1999). The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between a set of predictor variables and student persistence for persons enrolled at a state-supported two-year community and technical college system. The Collective Affiliation model, based on previous student persistence research in the Tinto tradition, was created and used was in this study specifically for community college, commuter and distance education students. The participants were Kentucky Community and Technical College students enrolled in the developmental math course, MT065, Basic Algebra. The predictor variables were student demographic characteristics, and variables related to work, family and academic factors. The dependent variable was persistence (defined as re-enrollment or the awarding of a credential or transfer). The results revealed academic factors have the greatest influence on persistence. It provides nuances and further insight into developmental education students while calling into question the validity of sociological constructs. Lastly, the study shows how state and local policy can have an impact on student persistence

Increasing FAFSA Completion Rates: Research, Policies and Practices

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first and most important step for students to receive their portion of the billions of grant aid dollars disbursed in federal student financial aid; however, every year many low income and community college students fail to complete the FAFSA. Over the past twenty years, surveys have shown four main reasons students do not complete the FAFSA: the complexity of the FAFSA, loan debt, “other,” and no financial need. This article reviews current efforts, policies and practices aimed at increasing FAFSA completion rates at the national, state, and local levels. It also shows that many of these efforts are not assessed or evaluated for effectiveness. Special attention on FAFSA completion practices are made for financial aid administrators at a community and local level that focus on personal one-toone assistance, which research has found to be the most effective means of increasing FAFSA completion rates

“Warming up” in the developmental sequence? Upward transfer conditional on dependency status

The purpose of this study was to determine predictor factors of upward transfer for Kentucky community college students enrolled in a developmental algebra course. For independent students, a mother with a college degree, a declared major, a federal work-study position, greater adjusted gross income, and a higher grade point average was positively correlated with upward transfer. For dependent students, a father with a college degree, a declared major, and a higher grade point average was positively correlated with upward transfer

Future demand: How could or should our transport system evolve in order to support mobility in the future?

New Zealand’s land transport programme has a current expenditure target for the next ten years of $38.7bn including$10bn to change the shape of the road network and improve its quality and capacity. Yet such investment plans are in the face of a country, like several others, that has experienced a decade-long interruption to a long-run trend of growth in car travel.The NZ Ministry of Transport in 2014 undertook a major piece of strategic work to address the following focal question. How could or should our transport system evolve in order to support mobility in the future? The work involved a number of elements but centred upon a scenario planning exercise. This involved a wide cross-section of expertise and stakeholders in the identification of key drivers of change and critical uncertainties for the future for a time horizon of 2042. Two key unknowns were explored: (i) what will society want to do in future? (uncertainty about whether people will be more inclined to connect physically or virtually); and what will society be able to afford to do? (uncertainty about the affordability of energy relative to other costs of living). Four plausible and divergent scenarios were developed for future transport and society in New Zealand. Alongside the narratives for these different worlds, a simple structural model was developed to estimate quantification of levels of car travel in 2042 for the different scenarios. This revealed that from 2014 to 2042, total car travel could range from a growth of 35% to a decline of 53%.The subsequent examination of the focal question above led to a series of insights and recommended responses for policymakers and other decision makers to consider. Three important principles emerged from the work:(1)It is access not mobility per se that is key to a thriving New Zealand. There are uncertainties over what make-up of access will be desirable and affordable in future.(2)There is a need to ensure a resilient provision of access options that provides for adaptability of behaviour over time. This means a combined and coordinated effort to evolve and improve roading and proximity and digital communications.(3)The transport system’s nature and scale partly determine the demand placed upon it. Therefore when evolving the transport system one should have in mind providing for demand believed to be appropriate (and feasible) rather than providing for the demand that it may be tempting to predict

A Raman spectroscopic study of organic matter in interplanetary dust particles and meteorites using multiple wavelength laser excitation

Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate insoluble organic matter (IOM) from a range of chondritic meteorites, and a suite of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). Three monochromatic excitation wavelengths (473 nm, 514 nm, 632 nm) were applied sequentially to assess variations in meteorite and IDP Raman peak parameters (carbon D and G bands) as a function of excitation wavelength (i.e., dispersion). Greatest dispersion occurs in CVs > OCs > CMs > CRs with type 3 chondrites compared at different excitation wavelengths displaying conformable relationships, in contrast to type 2 chondrites. These findings indicate homogeneity in the structural nature of type 3 chondrite IOM, while organic matter (OM) in type 2 chondrites appears to be inherently more heterogeneous. If type 2 and type 3 chondrite IOM shares a common source, then thermal metamorphism may have a homogenizing effect on the originally more heterogeneous OM. IDP Raman G bands fall on an extension of the trend displayed by chondrite IOM, with all IDPs having Raman parameters indicative of very disordered carbon, with almost no overlap with IOM. The dispersion effect displayed by IDPs is most similar to CMs for the G band, but intermediate between CMs and CRs for the D band. The existence of some overlapping Raman features in the IDPs and IOM indicates that their OM may share a common origin, but the IDPs preserve more pristine OM that may have been further disordered by ion irradiation. H, C, and N isotopic data for the IDPs reveal that the disordered carbon in IDPs corresponds with higher δ15N and lower δ13C

Petrography, stable isotope compositions, microRaman spectroscopy, and presolar components of Roberts Massif 04133: A reduced CV3 carbonaceous chondrite

Here, we report the mineralogy, petrography, C-N-O-stable isotope compositions, degree of disorder of organic matter, and abundances of presolar components of the chondrite Roberts Massif (RBT) 04133 using a coordinated, multitechnique approach. The results of this study are inconsistent with its initial classification as a Renazzo-like carbonaceous chondrite, and strongly support RBT 04133 being a brecciated, reduced petrologic type >3.3 Vigarano-like carbonaceous (CV) chondrite. RBT 04133 shows no evidence for aqueous alteration. However, it is mildly thermally altered (up to approximately 440 °C); which is apparent in its whole-rock C and N isotopic compositions, the degree of disorder of C in insoluble organic matter, low presolar grain abundances, minor element compositions of Fe,Ni metal, chromite compositions and morphologies, and the presence of unequilibrated silicates. Sulfides within type I chondrules from RBT 04133 appear to be pre-accretionary (i.e., did not form via aqueous alteration), providing further evidence that some sulfide minerals formed prior to accretion of the CV chondrite parent body. The thin section studied contains two reduced CV3 lithologies, one of which appears to be more thermally metamorphosed, indicating that RBT 04133, like several other CV chondrites, is a breccia and thus experienced impact processing. Linear foliation of chondrules was not observed implying that RBT 04133 did not experience high velocity impacts that could lead to extensive thermal metamorphism. Presolar silicates are still present in RBT 04133, although presolar SiC grain abundances are very low, indicating that the progressive destruction or modification of presolar SiC grains begins before presolar silicate grains are completely unidentifiable

A mutli-technique search for the most primitive CO chondrites

As part of a study to identify the most primitive COs and to look for weakly altered CMs amongst the COs, we have conducted a multi-technique study of 16 Antarctic meteorites that had been classified as primitive COs. For this study, we have determined: (1) the bulk H, C and N abundances and isotopes, (2) bulk O isotopic compositions, (3) bulk modal mineralogies, and (4) for some selected samples the abundances and compositions of their insoluble organic matter (IOM). Two of the 16 meteorites do appear to be CMs – BUC 10943 seems to be a fairly typical CM, while MIL 090073 has probably been heated. Of the COs, DOM 08006 appears to be the most primitive CO identified to date and is quite distinct from the other members of its pairing group. The other COs fall into two groups that are less primitive than DOM 08006 and ALH 77307, the previously most primitive CO. The first group is composed of members of the DOM 08004 pairing group, except DOM 08006. The second group is composed of meteorites belonging to the MIL 03377 and MIL 07099 pairing groups. These two pairing groups should probably be combined. There is a dichotomy in the bulk O isotopes between the primitive (all Antarctic finds) and the more metamorphosed COs (mostly falls). This dichotomy can only partly be explained by the terrestrial weathering experienced by the primitive Antarctic samples. It seems that the more equilibrated samples interacted to a greater extent with 16O-poor material, probably water, than the more primitive meteorites

A divergent heritage for complex organics in Isheyevo lithic clasts

Primitive meteorites are samples of asteroidal bodies that contain a high proportion of chemically complex organic matter (COM) including prebiotic molecules such as amino acids, which are thought to have been delivered to Earth via impacts during the early history of the Solar System. Thus, understanding the origin of COM, including their formation pathway(s) and environment(s), is critical to elucidate the origin of life on Earth as well as assessing the potential habitability of exoplanetary systems. The Isheyevo CH/CBb carbonaceous chondrite contains chondritic lithic clasts with variable enrichments in 15N believed to be of outer Solar System origin. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM-EELS) and in situ isotope analyses (SIMS and NanoSIMS), we report on the structure of the organic matter as well as the bulk H and N isotope composition of Isheyevo lithic clasts. These data are complemented by electron microprobe analyses of the clast mineral chemistry and bulk Mg and Cr isotopes obtained by inductively coupled plasma and thermal ionization mass spectrometry, respectively (MC-ICPMS and TIMS). Weakly hydrated (A) clasts largely consist of Mg-rich anhydrous silicates with local hydrated veins composed of phyllosilicates, magnetite and globular and diffuse organic matter. Extensively hydrated clasts (H) are thoroughly hydrated and contain Fe-sulfides, sometimes clustered with organic matter, as well as magnetite and carbonates embedded in a phyllosilicate matrix. The A-clasts are characterized by a more 15N-rich bulk nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N = 200–650‰) relative to H-clasts (δ15N = 50–180‰) and contain extremely 15N-rich domains with δ15N 15N-rich domains show that the lithic clast diffuse organic matter is typically more 15N-rich than globular organic matter. The correlated δ15N values and C/N ratios of nanoglobules require the existence of multiple organic components, in agreement with the H isotope data. The combined H and N isotope data suggest that the organic precursors of the lithic clasts are defined by an extremely 15N-poor (similar to solar) and D-rich component for H-clasts, and a moderately 15N-rich and D-rich component for A-clasts. In contrast, the composition of the putative fluids is inferred to include D-poor but moderately to extremely 15N-rich H- and N-bearing components. The variable 15N enrichments in H- and A-clasts are associated with structural differences in the N bonding environments of their diffuse organic matter, which are dominated by amine groups in H-clasts and nitrile functional groups in A-clasts. We suggest that the isotopically divergent organic precursors in Isheyevo clasts may be similar to organic moieties in carbonaceous chondrites (CI, CM, CR) and thermally recalcitrant organic compounds in ordinary chondrites, respectively. The altering fluids, which are inferred to cause the 15N enrichments observed in the clasts, may be the result of accretion of variable abundances of NH3 and HCN ices. Finally, using bulk Mg and Cr isotope composition of clasts, we speculate on the accretion regions of the various primitive chondrites and components and the origin of the Solar System’s N and H isotope variability