what we do

The Project on Student Debt

The Project on Student Debt works to reduce the burden of student debt, and to increase public understanding of rising student debt and the implications for our families, economy, and society.

Keeping California's Promise

California’s Master Plan for higher education guarantees a place in college for every eligible student. TICAS seeks to maximize the effectiveness of this promise by ensuring students have the financial aid and student services they need to succeed, particularly at California’s community colleges.

Simplifying the FAFSA

To help more students get the aid they are eligible for, TICAS works to simplify the aid application process and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

College InSight

College InSight is a unique web site for higher education data and research. The site is a valuable resource for anyone interested in college affordability, student debt, economic and racial diversity, student success, and other important issues in higher education.

Special Topics

Resources, publications and links on specific topics including:

recent products

Employment Outcomes at California Colleges

This TICAS report analyzes the student outcomes data currently available for students attending college in California, and makes recommendations for improving these data to better support informed decision making for students and families, policymakers, and colleges. Most importantly, TICAS recommends that reliable, verified state data be made available to all postsecondary students in California, no matter what kind of institution they attend

Read the report
The Road Less Fragile: First Steps for Helping Financially Vulnerable Students Succeed

TICAS issue brief exploring student financial vulnerability highlights the need for policymakers to both prioritize need-based grant aid and recognize a broader array of financial circumstances and challenges impacting students in order to better address their financial needs and reduce barriers to success. TICAS encourages colleges to assess existing practices that may exacerbate their students’ financial insecurity and create barriers to completion, such as not participating in the federal loan program and retaining punitive policies governing institutional fines and fees.

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What College Costs for Low-Income Californians

Updated TICAS analysis finds that low-income students and families actually pay less to attend each of the nine University of California (UC) campuses than they would at Cal State (CSU) or California Community Colleges (CCC) in the same region.

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Of Metrics and Markets: Measuring Post-College Employment Success

New TICAS report details existing requirements that govern the calculation and provision of post-college employment metrics, documents weaknesses in existing data, and recommends federal and state policy changes to support comparable, accurate, accessible information for measuring post-college employment outcomes.

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Designing Financial Aid for California's Future

In a volume edited by The Institute for College Access & Success, researchers explore in detail ways that California’s policymakers might consider changing the design and delivery of state financial aid to create a more affordable, equitable path to and through California’s public higher education system.

Read the report
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