New America Foundation

The Next Step in Systems-Building

Education Policy — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:44:00 -0500

Today, preschool and other services for young children are delivered through what is widely recognized as a non-system, with programs like child care, pre-kindergarten, special education services and Head Start operating in separate policy silos, each with differing objectives and different funding streams. This uneven and uncoordinated character of early childhood policy can impede access, quality, and return on investment to these programs. Indeed, stories of avoidable dysfunction-of low-income parents who are unaware that their child

529s and Public Assistance

Asset Building — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:10:00 -0500

529s are tax-advantaged accounts designed to help families save for post-secondary education. In recent years, state policymakers and 529 administrators have worked to expand access to 529 plans and increase the participation of lower-income families through outreach, advertising, and targeted incentives such as matching deposits and reducing or eliminating fees.[1] Yet, as plan administrators and state and federal policymakers design new strategies for expanding the use of 529 plans

Podcast: Mark Huelsman on Encouraging College Savings

Asset Building — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:41:00 -0500

In this version of New America's weekly podcast, Media Relations Manager Kate Brown sits down with Mark Huelsman, Program Associate with New America's College Savings Initiative to discuss the connection between savings and college completion, the advantages of 529 college savings plans, the ability of low-income families to save for college, and policy proposals to help them do just that.

All Power to the Choice Architects

Next Social Contract — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:43:00 -0500

If we go by election results, and no better guide to our national mood exists, the years of conservative hegemony in the United States are over, at least for the foreseeable future. Not only has the country elected a Democratic president and Congress, but conservative ideas, which once had seemed so innovative, are increasingly stale or non-existent. Meanwhile, the Republican Party seems both directionless and leaderless.

Low-Cost State Policy Innovations to Help Families Save for College

Asset Building — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:56:00 -0500

At a time when low-income students are underrepresented in higher education and the cost of attendance is becoming increasingly unaffordable, 529 college savings plans have the potential to address issues of college readiness, access and completion. Savings can help reduce higher education debt, making college more affordable, and has the potential to change aspirations and behaviors of both students and their parents. Research from the asset building field shows that even a relatively small amount of savings may have positive impacts on behavior and educational achievement.

AutoSave Overview

Asset Building — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:22:00 -0500

AutoSave is a unique savings plan that automatically diverts through payroll deduction a small amount of post-tax wages into an individual savings account. This new infrastructure nearly seamlessly enables individuals to contribute small amounts of their wages into an accessible, non tax-advantaged savings account. It will be especially valuable for individuals who have limited liquid assets, and who may otherwise be forced to meet emergency needs with high-cost emergency loans.

On the Cusp in California

Education Policy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0400

If children are the future, then looking at a state's educational system is like peering into a crystal ball. California is a state teeming with young children -- 4.7 million under age 8, to be exact. One in every eight young American children lives in California. And many of these children come from minority ethnic and racial backgrounds and speak languages other than English. If Americans want to get a glimpse at our future as a "majority minority" country they don't have to look beyond California.

Increasing College Completion Among Low-Income Students through Savings

Asset Building — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:03:00 -0400

Earlier this year, the Obama Administration released a bold new plan for improving the state of higher education in the United States. Its fiscal year 2010 budget proposal included several items aimed at increasing postsecondary education enrollment and completion rates, and decreasing the financial burden that college represents to many lower and middle class families. [1] These proposals include reforming the federal student loan program, expanding Pell Grants for low-income students, and creating a new College Access and

POLICY ROUNDTABLE: The Challenge of Job Creation

Next Social Contract — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:30:00 -0400

What the Government Can Do to Better Promote Job Creation
by Timothy J. Bartik

Jobs: What Can We Do?
by James K. Galbraith

The Time Has Come for Direct Job Creation
by L. Randall Wray

Promoting Savings as a Tool for International Development

Asset Building — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:13:00 -0400

Scholars, policymakers, and practitioners of microfinance are increasingly turning their focus toward devising and offering effective and accessible savings services for the poor. Not only have experts argued that demand for savings services greatly exceeds that of microcredit, but many also contend that savings-led programs and products, with a focus on building assets, may be more effective than credit in providing a pathway out of poverty.