Breakout Sessions
Do Students Invest Wisely?
1A: Returns to Community College: More of the Big Picture (Pan American)
There are many ways in which labor market returns to college can vary. Using large-scale statewide administrative datasets and national surveys, this session will report on how returns vary across programs, enrollment patterns, and states.
Panelists
Scott Carlson, The Chronicle of Higher Education
Jeffrey Fletcher, Community College Research Center and CAPSEE
Jessica Scheld, Lynchburg College
Mark Wiederspan, Arizona State University
1B: Returns to Short-Term Stays in College (Statler AB)
The labor market returns to short-term stays in college—either to get a certificate or other sub-degree award, or simply to get credits—are typically weaker than the returns to degrees. This session will look at how robust the labor market returns are across the range of short-term stays in community colleges.
Panelists
Allen Ruby, Institute of Education Sciences
Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York, and CAPSEE
Madeline Joy Trimble, Community College Research Center and CAPSEE
Peter Riley Bahr, University of Michigan and CAPSEE
1C: Returns to Technical and Vocational Programs (Federal AB)
Labor market returns to vocational courses are typically higher than those for academic courses. This session will look at patterns in returns across different technical and occupational programs.
Panelists
James Benson, Institute of Education Sciences
Michal Kurlaender, University of California, Davis, and CAPSEE
Michel Grosz, University of California, Davis
Adela Soliz, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University
Does Society Invest Wisely?
2A: Financial Aid: More of the Big Picture (Pan American)
Financial aid is a multifaceted policy for improving educational and economic outcomes. This session will provide an overview of key trends in financial aid policy.
Panelists
Liz Willen, The Hechinger Report
Kevin Dougherty, Community College Research Center
Eric Bettinger, Stanford University and CAPSEE
Qiao Wen, Community College Research Center
2B: Pell Grants and College Outcomes (Federal AB)
Pell grants are critical to helping many students complete their college education. This session will consider how effective and efficient the Pell grant system is at maximizing educational and economic outcomes.
Panelists
Kevin Carey, New America Foundation
Lesley Turner, University of Maryland
Rina Seung Eun Park, Community College Research Center and CAPSEE
Lauren Schudde, The University of Texas at Austin and CAPSEE
2C: Working While Enrolled in College (Statler AB)
Many students combine work—often full-time work—with their college studies. This session examines what are the optimal conditions for combining employment and college enrollment.
Panelists
Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed
Judith Scott-Clayton, Community College Research Center and CAPSEE
Adela Soliz, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University
Veronica Minaya, Community College Research Center and CAPSEE
How Can We Help Students Make Better Investments?
3A: Helping Community College Students Invest in a Bachelor’s Degree (Pan American)
A high proportion of students lack the information or guidance to progress successfully through college. This session describes how these obstacles impede college completion, leading students to underinvest in college-level skills.
Panelists
Karin Fischer, The Chronicle of Higher Education
Di Xu, University of California, Irvine, and CAPSEE
Davis Jenkins, Community College Research Center and CAPSEE
Shanna Smith Jaggars, The Ohio State University and CAPSEE
3B: Which College to Attend (Federal AB)
Students can choose from a vast array of colleges and universities. This session will report on which institutional features are associated with superior economic outcomes.
Panelists
Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, The Washington Post
Stephanie Riegg Cellini, George Washington University
Rajashri Chakrabarti, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Arne Kalleberg, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and CAPSEE
3C: Barriers to Investing (Statler AB)
Even for students who are academically prepared, there are still many barriers to making the most of college. This session will look at some of these barriers and what approaches students can use to get over these barriers.
Panelists
David Wessel, Brookings Institution
Bridget Long, Harvard Graduate School of Education and CAPSEE
Vivian Liu, Community College Research Center and CAPSEE
Nikki Edgecombe, Community College Research Center and CAPSEE, and Jasmine Sanders, Community College Research Center